Poké Rangers: Knights of Order
by BentleyGirl
Summary: Three thousand years ago, the evil wizard Yvestros ruled the Kalos region with an iron fist until he was vanquished by a brave team of warriors powered by Pokemon spirits. Today, Yvestros has risen again to conquer the land. But a new generation of Pokemon heroes have taken the mantle to fight him off. They are the Poke Rangers: Knights of Order!
1. Prologue: An Old Enemy Returns

**This is my first attempt at writing a Poké Rangers story, just a side project until I can get going on my other stories.**

* * *

Prologue: An Old Enemy Returns

 _Since the beginning, Humans and Pokémon have coexisted together in peace and harmony, each side helping the other in their tasks. But that peace didn't last long._

 _Long ago, in the region today known as Kalos, a great evil arose in the form of Yvestros. Having been disfigured by the powers of Yveltal during its last rising, he used his new powers to create an army of monsters; some of them half human and half_ _Poké_ _mon, others were hybrids between different Pokemon. With his evil minions, Yvestros terrorized the land for several years, draining the life force of all who dared to resist him._

 _But soon, hope arose again for, during Yvestros' reign, a lone human accompanied by a Lucario discovered a small green creature cornered in the mountains by a pack of Houndour. The human threw stones at the Houndour while his Lucario attacked them with his moves until the Houndour were driven away. It was then that the creature revealed itself as a core of Zygarde, the Legendary_ _Poké_ _mon of Order, summoning several Cells to transform into its true form. In gratitude of the human's rescue, Zygarde granted him 18 mystical medallions that granted any who held them with an immunity to Yvestros' Oblivion Wing, as well as the power to become super-powerful soldiers able to battle the evil minions. Surged by this new ability, the human gathered other humans and shared his powers among them, turning into soldiers of war: the Knight_ _s of Order._

 _With their new powers, the Knights of Order_ _challenged Yvestros and his armies. The war raged for many years. While Yvestros' powers were unending, the Knights of Order_ _were able to thin down his forces, aided by many allies both human and Pokémon._

 _Finally, Yvestros grew desperate. Aided by his closest generals, he hunted down each Knight_ _and slaughtered them without mercy. As each Knight was killed, their medallions disappeared Soon, only six Knights remained; Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Flying, and Fighting. Buoyed by their fellows' deaths, the Knights of Order_ _used their medallions to summon Zygarde and pleaded for a means to defeat Yvestros once and for all._

 _Upon hearing of the Knights of Order's_ _heroic efforts, Zygarde agreed to help and brought them_ _into his lair deep within Terminus Cave. Once inside, he called upon a second Zygarde and together, they rallied up every Cell they could muster to prepare a final trap. At that moment, Yvestros and his generals appeared, having tracked down the Knights of Order_ _, and challenged them to a final battle. They fought long and hard, but soon, the Knights began to show signs of weakening. But before Yvestros could deliver the final blow, the two Zygardes merged into an omnipotent being and channeled their energy into a powerful Land's Wrath into the cave ceiling. While the Knights were able to escape with Zygarde, Yvestros and his generals were buried under the cave-in._

 _With Yvestros finally vanquished, the Knights of Order_ _retired and returned to their homes. All except for the original Knight_ _who claimed the others' last medallions and vowed to watch over the land, still uncertain that Yvestros was properly dead._

 _And for many years, peace reigned over the Kalos region, a peace that wouldn't last for very long..._

* * *

 _Terminus Cave_

 _Present Day_

Jonathan Mitchell took in a breath and let it out in a huge sigh. Underground construction was always such a hassle, even with Pokémon, because no-one ever knew when it would ever be finished. At the moment, he and his team were working on recovering the remains of the old coal mine in Terminus Cave, looking for relics to showcase at the Slateport City Museum back in Hoenn.

Thinking back on his home region made Jonathan smile. He'd heard from his wife's last Holocaster message that his only son, Tristan, would be arriving at Lumiose City by airship in two days time, accompanied by his loyal partner, Torchic, with hopes of competing in the Kalos Pokémon League. Jonathan could still remember the day that Tristan received his Torchic as a birthday present, how his eyes had lit up at the sight of his very first Pokémon. That had been three weeks ago before he came to Kalos to work with the excavation team situated there.

Now he turned his attention back to the work in progress. Three other men in hard hats and overalls were chipping their way through the rocks. Jonathan's partner, Sandslash, was digging further into the tunnel, aided by an Excadrill and a Diggersby. A Conkeldurr was also working, bracing the tunnel ceiling with its two stone columns. Jonathan and his men had determined that if they kept going, they would soon reach the coal mine within a few days.

Jonathan grabbed his pickax and set to work. For several hours, they dug deeper into the cave, the sounds being the clink of their tools, the grunts of the Pokémon and the occasional squeak from the flock of Noibats above them. On and on they worked, none of them knowing what lay ahead in the darkness beyond.

Finally, Jonathan's axe split through a thick rock wall, revealing a dark chamber beyond. "Hold up, men!" he called. "I think we've made it."

One of the men picked up a lantern and stepped cautiously into the chamber. Jonathan and the others followed him. The light picked out a massive room where a huge purple boulder lay on the other side, glowing with unknown power.

"This doesn't look like the coal mine in the pictures," said one man nervously.

"Whatever this is, I don't like it," replied the man with the lantern.

Jonathan didn't hear them. His attention was focused on the boulder. Gingerly, he approached it, hand raised to touch it.

" _Slash!_ " His Sandslash appeared at the cave entrance, waving its paws and shaking its head. " _Sandslash, slash! Sandslash!_ "

Jonathan turned in confusion. "What is it, Sandslash? Is something wrong?"

" _Slash, slash!_ " Sandslash replied desperately. At that moment, Excadrill, Diggersby, and Conkeldurr appeared behind it, all equally nervous.

"Our Pokemon must know something we don't," the first man realized. "Whatever is in this cave is spooking them."

"Oh come on!" the third man scoffed. "There's nothing in here but a giant boulder. And at least three of our Pokémon are Ground Types, why would a rock scare them?"

"I don't think this is any boulder I've seen before," Jonathan murmured. "Let's just forget about this and leave quickly."

"Not a chance," the third man retorted. "For all we know, the mine is just on the other side of that boulder. I'm not waiting until tomorrow for what can be done today." So saying, he marched over to the boulder and raised his pickax.

"Wait, DON'T!" Jonathan yelled, but he was too late.

With all his might, the man drove his pickax deep into the boulder. All at once, there was a mighty tremor that shook the cavern as huge cracks appeared on the surface of the boulder, like an egg starting to hatch. The Pokémon at the entrance all turned and ran out of the tunnel. Even the flock of Noibats flew out after them. The men watched them leave then turned as one to face the boulder as it began to glow a brilliant white.

Suddenly, the boulder split apart with an ear-splitting roar, throwing the man who'd struck it back against the wall with a sickening thud. Jonathan stared in horror as the man fell to the ground in a pile of broken limbs. Then he heard a sinister laughing behind him, followed by a demonic voice. "Free... at last..." And when he turned around to face the owner, his eyes widened in shocked disbelief.

There, in the remains of the boulder stood a lone man, but this was no ordinary human. His head was red and pointed like a beak, with black stripes leading from the tip of the beak along his face. Two long black horns curved out from his head and his eyes were a piercing blue. A grey feathery scarf was wrapped around his neck and he wore dark purple robes. Most terrifying of all were the two huge red hand-like wings erupting from his back and flowing down to the ground like a cape.

It took a moment before Jonathan realized what he was seeing. The person was a cross between a human and the Legendary Pokémon of Destruction, Yveltal!

At last, one of the men found his voice, the one holding the lantern. "W-Who are you?"

"I am Yvestros, ruler of Kalos," replied the Pokémon-human in a distorted voice. "Tell me, what year is this?"

Jonathan and the others swapped worried glances. "I-It's the year 2016, Mr. Yvestros," Jonathan replied.

"LORD Yvestros to you, puny humans!" Yvestros then drew in a breath to calm down and looked around him. "2016, you say? That would mean that I've been trapped underground for nearly three thousand years."

"Three thousand years?" the other man gasped. "But that's impossible! No man could ever live for that long."

"I am more than a simple human or even a Pokémon," Yvestros stated. "Once I ruled this region as its true monarch. Now I shall do so again! But first, I must revive my faithful generals." He turned to look at the workers. "And you three have just what I need to do so..."

"What could we possibly do to help you?" Jonathan asked, wary of where this was going. "We have no means of medical care to help your men."

"I do not need any mortal medicine to revive them. All I need from you is... your life force!" With that, Yvestros' wings unfolded and curled up over his back. "OBLIVION WING!"

Bolts of red lightning shot out from his wings and struck the three workers. Jonathan screamed in agony as the lightning swept over him, bringing him to his knees. Suddenly, he felt his body going stiff from the legs up and he looked down to see his whole body turning grey like stone. He glanced over and saw that the others were already petrified.

His last thoughts before he was completely frozen were of his son and how he would never be able to see him ever again...

* * *

Once the three workers were drained of their life force, their bodies like statues, Yvestros turned to where his generals lay still and channeled the life force into them. "Arise, my faithful followers, and let us claim the land once more."

The first general to awaken had the body of a Bisharp, but under the helmet, he had the face of a Houndoom. The grey part of its body was black and a Houndoom tail curled around one leg. "Ahhh," he growled. "It feels good to move again."

Behind him, a smaller figure shook his head. This general was only three feet tall and looked human from the neck down, but his head and arms were that of a Sableye. "What a long sleep that was," it muttered in a squeaky voice.

The last general to move was more feminine than the others. Her main body was that of a Gothitelle with dark purple bows, but she had the head and wings of a Venomoth. "Feels like we've been out for a century," she sighed.

"In truth, we have been asleep for three thousand years, Mothitelle," Yvestros corrected.

"What?!" the Sableye mutant cried. "How could this land have managed without our tyrannical presence?"

"As if you did anything during the wars," scoffed the Bisharp-Houndoom hybrid. "All you ever did was create whatever monsters our Lord demanded!"

"And they were good monsters too!"

"ENOUGH!" Yvestros yelled. "Sharphound, you are a most admirable commander of my armies. Do not lose your temper against our own men, unless they really deserved it."

"Yes, my Lord," Sharphound replied, bowing his head.

"And as for you, Sabelteur, your monsters can be useful once again," Yvestros went on. "But for now, we must return to our hidden lair in the mountains and recover our strength. And once we're ready, we shall begin our conquest of this realm once again!"

With that, Yvestros spread his wings, sending up a black fog that engulfed himself and his generals. When the fog faded, they had gone, leaving only the petrified bodies of the three workers and the dead body of the fourth as a sign that they were ever there...

* * *

In the Tower of Mastery on the outskirts of Shalour City, a lone figure sat in a meditative pose, his Lucario sitting next to him, at the base of the statue that dominated the room.

Suddenly, Lucario's eyes snapped open and he turned to look out the window in alarm. " _Lucar! Lucario!_ "

The man turned to his partner in with a look of concern. "What is it, Lucario? Did you sense something in the aura?"

" _Lucario,_ " the Fighting Pokemon replied with a nod.

"Show me," the man said.

Lucario placed his paw on the man's shoulder and focused his power. The man soon saw an image of blue appearing in his vision. It showed a dark cave that led down into a tunnel into a vast underground chamber where three people stood in strange poses, almost like they were hurt. It was then he saw several pieces of rock strewn across the cave floor.

The man's eyes flew open in horror. "No! They have been freed!"

"Something wrong, Grandpa?"

The man looked up at the voice and saw a young girl in skating attire standing at the base of the stairs, a Riolu at her feet.

"Not at all, Korrina," the man lied. "Lucario and I were just sharing a memory of the old times. Shouldn't you be at the Gym right now?"

"Yeah, I was on my way now," Korrina replied, running out the door. "I'll see you later!"

The man let out a heavy sigh. He hated having to lie to his granddaughter, but he knew that she was not ready to face Yvestros and his army.

Once he was certain that he and Lucario were alone, he went up to the base of the statue and pressed a hidden button. A door in the podium slid open revealing a hidden staircase that they quickly descended. They entered a darkened room below and the man went over to a small wooden box and opened it. Inside lay six golden medallions, each marked with the symbol of a certain element; a flame, a drop, a leaf, a lightning bolt, a wing and a fist.

The man picked up one of the medallions and lifted up to his face. "The time will soon come, Lucario. A new team will rise again..."

* * *

 **And thus the stage is set for a new battle.**

 **Like most other** **Poké** **Rangers stories before, I will need help with making the** **Poké** **Rangers. So far, I have prepared the first two in advance; Fire and Fighting. But the other four will be up to you.**

 **Just to give you an idea, the Rangers will be based on six** **Poké** **mon: Blaziken, Blastoise, Sceptile, Ampharos, Pidgeot, and Lucario. (Lucario and Blaziken have already been decided) And this is the criteria I am looking for:**

 **Name:**

 **Gender:**

 **Hometown:**

 **Personality:**

 **Type of** **Poké** **Ranger:**

 **Pokemon: (Make sure to include the aforementioned** **Poké** **mon in any stage of evolution)**

 **History:**

 **Once I have chosen my rangers, the story will continue.**

 **EDIT: So far, I have three male Rangers, I just need two females to balance it out.**


	2. Order Rises Again, Part 1

**Now that the Rangers have been chosen, it's time for the story to continue.**

* * *

Chapter One: Order Rises Again, Part 1

 _Lumiose City Airport_

 _Two days later_

" _Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are now approaching our last destination, Lumiose City. Please fasten your seat belts, stow away your tray and make sure your seat is in the upright position. Thank you._ "

Upon hearing the announcement, Tristan Mitchell did as he was told then looked out the window next to his seat, gasping in amazement at the sight outside: Lumiose City, the largest city in Kalos! Five roads pointed out of the city like the points of a Staryu, and the tall tower where the Pokémon Gym was situated rose up in the middle.

"Wow!" he breathed as his Torchic sat up on his lap to look. "This place is much bigger than Dad said it was. What do you think, Torchic? Pretty amazing, huh?"

" _Torchic!_ " the Fire Pokémon replied.

Tristan sat back and looked at himself in the window's reflection. He was dressed in the typical attire of an up-and-coming Pokemon Trainer: a dark red cap over his brown hair, red jacket over a black T-shirt, blue jeans, and yellow sneakers.

A few minutes later, the plane touched down and pulled up next to the airport.

" _Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Lumiose City, Kalos' center of cuisine and fashion. Please wait until the plane has come to a complete stop before departing. And once again, we thank you for flying Braviary Air._ "

Tristan turned to look at the passengers in his row. The man in the aisle seat wore a dark blue suit, white shirt, red striped tie and dark brown shoes. In the middle seat lay a sleeping, young red-haired boy of medium build. He wore a blue sleeveless sweatshirt over a green T-shirt, purple yoga pants, and black converse shoes. A Minccino stirred on his lap and looked around before turning to the man. " _Cino?_ "

"Yes, we've landed," the man chuckled. "Go ahead and wake him up."

With that, the Minccino stood up and waggled her tail in the boy's nose, tickling him lightly. With a start, the boy sat up, his mouse-brown eyes open wide, and he quickly felt around his armrests. "My glasses! Where'd my glasses go?"

The man, obviously the boy's father, looked around too, his brow furrowed. "Oh dear, they must have fallen out during the flight!"

" _Minccino!_ " The boy's Pokémon bounded onto the man's chair and glanced around worryingly.

Tristan went into action. "Torchic, try looking under the seats in front of us."

Torchic jumped off Tristan's lap and crawled under the row. A few seconds later, he reappeared, carrying a pair of round glasses in his beak. " _Torchic, chic!_ "

"Good work, buddy!" Tristan picked up his partner, took the glasses and held them out to the man. "Are these the ones you're looking for?"

"Yes! Thank you!" The man snatched up the glasses and gave them to his son. "Here you go, Rafi."

The Minccino gave the glasses a quick polish with her tail before the boy put them on. "Oh, thank you so much, mister," he sighed. "I'd be lost without them."

"My son has Zubat-vision, you see," the man explained. "He can barely see three feet in front of him."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Tristan replied. "Glad Torchic and I could help." He held out his hand. "Tristan Mitchell."

"Robert O'Donovan," the man said, shaking his hand. "This is my son, Raphael."

"My friends call me Rafi," the boy added. "And this is my Minccino, Lucky."

" _Minccino!_ " replied Lucky.

"And this is my partner, Torchic," Tristan said.

" _Torchic,_ " said the Fire Type.

"So what brings you to the Kalos region, Tristan?" Robert asked.

"I'm meeting up with my dad and then later I'll be starting my Pokémon journey," Tristan replied.

"What a coincidence!" Rafi cried. "My dad's going to work with Professor Sycamore. And I'm thinking of starting my Pokemon journey, too."

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky chipped in.

Tristan frowned. "Um, no offense, Rafi, but aren't you a little young to be a Pokémon Trainer?"

"I'm 14, dummy!" Rafi retorted then he sighed. "I'm just quite short for my age."

"Oh," Tristan turned away. "Sorry."

"Don't worry, I get that a lot," Rafi reassured him. "I have a feeling that whatever happens out there, we would make it."

By then, the plane had stopped and most of the passengers had already disembarked. Tristan, Robert, and Rafi got up and set off out of the plane. Once they'd gotten their luggage, they went out into the arrivals hall and Tristan looked around for his father. But there was no sign of him.

"That's odd," he muttered to himself. "This isn't like Dad to not greet us."

" _Torchic,_ " his partner agreed.

With nothing else to do, he left the airport and met up with Rafi and his father by a sign reading "GOGOAT TAXIS".

"Hey, Dad?" Rafi asked. "Would it be okay to let Orville out now?"

"Sure, why not?" Robert replied. "He needs to stretch his wings after that long flight."

Rafi took out a Poke Ball and threw it out. "Okay, Orville, time to fly!"

In a flash of light, a Pidgey appeared and took off into the sky with a happy chirp.

"Aren't you worried about him getting lost out there?" Tristan asked.

"Nah, I trained Orville to come back when I whistle," Rafi replied. "So did you find your father?"

"No," Tristan admitted, as he recalled his Torchic into his ball. "But I guess he couldn't find the time to come. He's still working on that coal mine in Terminus Cave. I'll just head to his place in Southern Boulevard and drop off my bags before heading off to meet the Professor of this region." He then looked down the road. "Hey, how do we get there anyway?"

Robert pointed further up the road. "That's how. The Gogoats."

Tristan turned and saw three Gogoats trotting down the road towards them. As soon as they reached the sign, they stopped and knelt down on the road.

"So cool!" Rafi breathed as his father helped him and Lucky onto one of the Gogoats. He then gave a loud whistle and Orville swooped down towards him. "Orville, follow the Gogoats wherever they go."

" _Pidgey!_ " Orville replied.

Tristan gingerly climbed onto another Gogoat's back and grabbed onto its horns. "So, how do I steer these things?"

"You don't have to," Robert replied as he got on the last Gogoat. "They instinctively know where you go. You just have to tell them when to stop. Say, since we're heading the same direction, would you mind if we accompanied you to your father's place?"

"Why not?" Tristan answered. "Okay, Gogoat, take us to Southern Boulevard!"

With that, the Gogoats stood up and set off down the road...

* * *

On the other side of the city, another trainer and his Grovyle passed through the gate and took in the sights before them. The trainer's name was Quinn Westwood and he wasn't so much a trainer as he was a Pokemon Ranger. He had sleek black hair tied up in a ponytail with a single green streak running through it, and dark green eyes. He wore a dark green traveling cloak over a bright green shirt, brown shorts, white socks and brown hiking boots. On his right wrist was a small watch-like device, and a remote control hung from the belt of his shorts.

Looking to his left, he saw one of the Gogoats trotting down the road, carrying a man on its back, and he couldn't help but grimace. "That poor Pokemon..."

" _Grovyle?_ " asked his partner.

"Just look at them," Quinn replied. "Humans using Pokemon for their own needs just because they're too lazy to walk on their own two feet! It makes me sick."

" _Grovyle, gro-grovyle!_ "

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he sighed. "I can't change everything at once. Come on, let's find a Poke Mart." With that, he then set off into the street, his Grovyle hopping along behind him.

As he walked, a tall blonde young woman came jogging up to him, a Pikachu sitting on her shoulder. "Hi, there! Have you just arrived?"

Quinn stopped and turned around to look at the girl. She wore a sleeveless yellow jacket with thunderbolts on over a black T-shirt, a short black skirt that came up to her thighs, yellow thigh-length stockings and black shoes. "Yes, I have. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," the woman replied with a giggle. "It's just nice to see new people coming in, that's all."

" _Pika, Pikachu!"_ said her Pokemon.

"Well, thanks, ma'am," Quinn said, smiling warmly.

"So, anyway, are you looking for a place to stay the night? There's a Pokemon Center in Magenta Plaza."

"Thanks for the offer, but I have a place to stay. I put up a tent on Route 4 and my friends are waiting there. I'm just looking for some food for my friends."

"Oh, okay," the girl replied. "There's quite a number of restaurants around here. Let me see..." She looked up and down the street. "We're in Southern Boulevard, so the nearest restaurant would be... Cafe Soleil! Come on, I'll show you the way."

"Thanks, ma'am!" Quinn beamed. "Come on, Grovyle, let's go."

" _Grovyle!_ " said his partner, setting off after him.

* * *

Hundreds of miles away from the city, in a secluded lair in the mountains, Yvestros stood by the entrance, gazing around at the world before him. During their rest, he had sent Mothitelle out to scout the land and gain information on how much the Kalos region had changed in a thousand. When Mothitelle had returned, she'd explained that everything was much more advanced now.

"So much time has passed since our humiliating failure," Yvestros grumbled. "But soon we shall have our revenge." He then turned to Mothitelle. "And you're quite certain that the Knights of Order do not exist in this time?"

"Very sure," Mothitelle replied. "While I was in disguise, I asked some of the locals. They had never even heard of them."

"Excellent." Yvestros then looked over at Sabelteur who was currently engaged in a battle of wits with Sharphound, as they both tried to figure out the basic principals of poker.

"So, I've got three nines and two of those king people in my hand," Sabelteur explained. "Is that a good thing?"

"I don't know," Sharphound replied. "All I've got are four ones. What does that mean?"

Sabelteur consulted a book on poker that Mothitelle had procured during her scouting trip. "What the heck? Your hand wins? What kind of Ponyta malarkey is this?"

"Sabelteur!" Yvestros yelled.

With a yelp, the Sableye mutant dropped his cards and jumped smartly to attention. "Yes, um, what is your bidding, my Lord?"

"It is time to prepare for our glorious conquest of the land," Yvestros replied regally. "You must whip up a batch of foot soldiers to back up my most loyal generals."

"Yes," Sharphound growled in anticipation. "Do I have permission to lead our army into battle?"

"Permission granted."

"My Lord," Sabelteur piped in. "What particular traits do you require for these monsters?"

Yvestros rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmm... Find me some Pokémon that are swift and nimble, and combine them with ones that are powerful and rugged. And the sooner they're finished, the sooner we can conquer Kalos!"

* * *

Meanwhile, just outside Lumiose, a lone figure ran along Route 14, his destination set firm. Behind him ran his Lucario, arms laid back to increase his speed.

"Hurry, Lucario!" the man yelled. "If your Aura sensing was correct, the chosen ones will be in this city at the right time!"

" _Lucar, lucario,_ " said the Aura Pokémon urgently.

"I know, old friend," the man panted, picking up speed. "Let's just hope we're not too late."

* * *

Tristan let out a deep sigh as the Gogoats took him and the O'Donovans down the street. Earlier, they had reached his father's apartment to drop off his luggage, but when he came in, there had been no sign that he'd ever been in, nor indeed was there a sight of his partner, Sandslash. He then tried to call his mother, but the connection was bad on Hoenn's side so he decided to leave it for later. So he left the apartment and rejoined Rafi and his father on the last leg of their journey.

"There it is!" Robert announced, breaking Tristan out of his thoughts.

Tristan looked up and saw the Pokemon Lab ahead of them. This was where Professor Sycamore was based, waiting for any new trainer who wanted to start their journey.

Just then, Tristan spotted a slim older girl with aquamarine blue hair, dressed in a simple blue shirt, white shorts and sandals approaching the lab.

"Who's she?" he asked.

"I don't know," Rafi replied as Orville flew down to perch on his head. "She must be another trainer."

At that moment, an older, dark-blue haired man wearing a blue shirt, a white lab coat, dark pants and brown shoes stepped out of the lab. "Ah, Marianne!" he called. "So good to see you again! How's your Pokemon doing?"

"See for yourself," the girl replied, taking out a Poke Ball. "Come on out, Blastoise."

In a flash of light, a Blastoise appeared, flexing its muscles. " _Blast!_ "

"Whoa!" Tristan cried, as he and Rafi got off their Gogoat's back. "That's a cool Pokemon!"

The girl, Marianne, turned to look at him. "Thanks. I've been training him quite hard."

Rafi's eyes went wide as he looked at the older man. "Wait a minute. Aren't you-"

"Professor Sycamore," Robert finished for him, joining the others. "Such a pleasure to see you again."

"Ah, Robert," the professor beamed, shaking his hand. "What a delight that you've returned."

"Your dad knows him?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah, he's a Pokemon scientist," Rafi explained. "He used to do business trips to and from Lumiose, aiding Sycamore in his research. But he stopped going a long time ago."

Before Tristan could ask why, Sycamore turned to them. "Ah, and this must be your son, Raphael. So nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise," Rafi said. "And this is Tristan. He's gonna start his Pokemon journey."

"Well, glad to meet such a budding young trainer," said the girl, holding out her hand. "I'm Marianne Brooke."

"Nice to meet you," Tristan replied, shaking her hand.

"Well, then," Sycamore declared. "Come in, young men, and let's get you started."

With that, Tristan and Rafi set off after Robert, Sycamore and Marianne, ready to begin their adventure, little knowing what was lying in store for them...

* * *

"My Lord, the monsters are complete," Sabelteur declared, running into the room. "I give you... the KrokoViles!"

Yvestros smiled as his new soldiers marched into the room. The soldiers had the head, collar and clawed arms of a Weavile, and the pointed snout and body of a Krokorok. They were bright red like Yvestros with thin dark stripes on their waists, arms, legs and tails.

"Impressive," Yvestros chuckled. "A most suited army of soldiers to start the invasion."

"Where shall we strike first, my Lord?" Sharphound asked, eager to get started.

"I shall transport you to the region's largest city," Yvestros replied then he turned to the KrokoViles. "Soldiers, as soon as you arrive, you are to overrun the whole city. Anyone who dares to resist you, be it human or Pokemon, are to be wiped out without mercy. Let nothing stand in your way!"

"Yes, my Lord," Sharphound yelled while the KrokoViles let out roars of triumph.

With that, Yvestros raised his wings and sent them away. "Then let the invasion begin!"

* * *

"So you really know your way around this city, do you?" Quinn asked the young girl as they walked down the street.

"Yeah, I've been living here for quite a long time," she replied. "I used to live in the Johto region, but my parents moved here when I was young. It took a while to get used to this place, but I feel more at home here now." She turned to him. "Sorry, I don't think we've introduced ourselves yet. I'm Electra Fielding."

"My name's Quinn Westwood," he replied. "And this is my partner, Grovyle."

" _Grovyle,_ " the Grass-type stated.

"Ah, here we are!" Electra cried, pointing to a small corner shop. "That's Cafe Soliel right there."

Quinn opened his mouth to say something when suddenly, dozens of strange figures appeared in the street, making everyone cry out in alarm.

Electra gasped in horror as she looked at the figures. "What in Arceus' name are those things?"

Quinn regarded the newcomers closely. "They look like some freaky mix of Krokorok and Weavile."

Suddenly the monsters let out terrifying roars, raised their arms and pounced on the nearest people. The crowds screamed in terror and ran out of the street.

"Hey!" Quinn yelled. "Leave them alone!"

"Pikachu, we have to stop those things!" As Pikachu leaped off her shoulders, Electra pulled out a Poke Ball and threw it out. "Ampharos, let's go!"

In a flash of light, an Ampharos appeared next to Pikachu. " _Amphar!_ "

"Grovyle, let's help out too!" Quinn cried.

" _Grovyle!_ " yelled the Grass-type, jumping in front of him.

Some of the Pokemon mutants turned to face them, growling threateningly.

* * *

At the Pokemon lab, Sycamore, Tristan, Marianne and the O'Donovans heard the screams and ran out into the boulevard, staring in horror at the attacking creatures.

"Holy Mew!" Rafi gasped. "What are those things?"

Sycamore held out a Pokedex and scanned them. "They don't seem to be registered as Pokémon."

"They're like a combination of two separate Pokémon," Marianne noted.

"Whatever they are, if we don't do something fast, they're gonna kill someone!" Tristan decided, taking out his Poke Ball. "Torchic, let's go!"

Torchic appeared in a flash, ruffling its feathers. " _Torchic!_ "

Marianne turned to her Pokemon. "Blastoise, you ready to help out?"

" _Blast, blastoise!_ " growled the Water Pokemon.

"I'm coming too," Rafi added nervously. "You ready, Orville?"

" _Pidgey!_ " chirped Orville.

"In the meantime, Sycamore and I will round up any victims and bring them to the Pokemon lab," Robert said. "Be careful, boys."

"Don't worry, Dad, I'll be fine," Rafi reassured him. "Lucky, go help my dad."

" _Mincci!_ " Lucky cheeped, bounding onto Robert's shoulder.

"Alright, then, let's go!" Tristan yelled, running into the street. Marianne and Rafi set off after him.

* * *

On the other side of town, the man and his Lucario ran into the city and stopped at the terrible sight that lay before them. People were screaming and running around in terror as dozens of half Krokorok, half Weavile mutants rampaged around the streets, roaring in triumph.

"Oh no," the man breathed in horror. "We're too late! Yvestros' invasion has begun..."

* * *

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 _ **NEXT TIME, on Poke Rangers: Knights of Order:**_

 _Quinn: They're too strong for us!_

 _?: Stay with me if you want to live!_

 _Tristan: Who are you?_

 _?: Your only hope against the KrokoViles._

 _Marianne: Why should we trust you on this?_

 _?: Because if you don't, then the Kalos region as you know it will be no more._

 _Tristan: Let's do this!_

 _All: Order's Light, Ignite!_

* * *

 **Cliff-hanger! A good place to end, though.**

 **Rafi belongs to Martyn, a guest reviewer.**

 **Quinn Westwood belongs to The Hooded Author.**

 **Marianne and Electra belong to D.J. Scales.**

 **To anyone else who submitted ideas for Rangers that I didn't choose, I greatly apologize. But I hope you enjoy the story regardless.**

 **See you then.**


	3. Order Rises Again, Part 2

**When we last left our heroes, Yvestros had begun his invasion. Now we see the conclusion of the pilot episode.**

* * *

 _Last time on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _The ancient Poké-Mutant, Yvestros, and his fiendish generals have been revived in the modern world of Kalos, ready to conquer again. Meanwhile, a young Pokémon Trainer, Tristan Mitchell, arrived in Lumiose City to begin his new journey, meeting up with Raphael "Rafi" O'Donovan and Marianne Brooke. At the same time, a Pokémon Ranger, Quinn Westwood, arrived and met another trainer, Electra Fielding, just moments before an army of KrokoViles appeared and started attacking the city._

* * *

Chapter 2:

Order Rises Again, Part Two

As Tristan, Rafi and Marianne raced through the streets, a group of KrokoViles charged in, separating them from their Pokémon, and surrounded them, growling menacingly.

"Uh-oh, this doesn't look good," Tristan muttered.

Marianne kicked out at the nearest Poké-Mutant, knocking it back. Another KrokoVile swung its claws out at Rafi, who ducked just out of reach. Tristan jumped onto its back and pulled it away from Rafi. With a growl, the mutant grabbed Tristan and flipped him over its head then raised its claws up, ready to impale him.

"Leave him alone!" Rafi yelled as he charged into the KrokoVile, spoiling its aim and shoving it into the side of a building. Upon its defeat, the KrokoVile flashed red and faded away.

Marianne grabbed the first KrokoVile's arm and judo-flipped it to the ground before stomping on its neck. "Blastoise, help us out with Hydro Pump!"

Blastoise crouched down and fired two jets of water from the cannons on his shell, blasting the KrokoViles aside and clearing the way for the other Pokemon.

Tristan punched a Krokovile on the snout then kicked it in the stomach, sending it bashing into another one. "Torchic, Ember!"

Torchic opened his beak and shot some fireballs at the mutants, making them cry out as their skin was burnt.

"Orville, Gust attack!" Rafi yelled.

Orville flew over their heads and flapped his wings hard, creating a powerful wind that blew the rest of the KrokoViles back.

Soon the street was clear but before they could rest, they heard a loud scream from further away.

"That's coming from Cafe Soleil!" Marianne cried.

"Come on!" Tristan yelled as he and Torchic ran down the street. "We have to help them!"

* * *

Quinn jumped back as a KrokoVile snapped its jaws at him, narrowly missing his head. He then grabbed it by the snout and smashed it into one of the cafe's outside tables.

Electra knocked down another with a roundhouse kick. "Ampharos, Power Gem! Pikachu, Electro Ball!"

Ampharos fired a beam of sparkling light from the orb on her head, taking out three KrokoViles in one go. At the same time, Pikachu formed a ball of lighting on his tail then jumped up and flicked it out, hitting two KrokoViles and making them disappear.

"Grovyle, Leaf Blade!" Quinn shouted.

As Grovyle jumped into the air, the blades on his arms began to glow and form a blade. He then jumped in and swung his arms around, slicing up the last five KrokoViles instantly.

But as the KrokoViles faded away, another group appeared and surrounded them. Two of them pounced on Ampharos and pinned her down while a third grabbed Pikachu.

"No!" Electra gasped.

"Blastoise, Rapid Spin!"

Suddenly, the KrokoViles were bashed aside by a spinning Blastoise, making them drop the captured Pokemon. Electra quickly held out her Poké Balls. "Ampharos, Pikachu, return!"

As the Pokémon were recalled into their balls, Tristan, Rafi, and Marianne charged through the mass, joining up with the others. "Are you two okay?"

Before Quinn could reply, a KrokoVile slashed at Grovyle, sending him flying into Torchic and Orville. Two others grabbed Blastoise and pulled him down. Marianne quickly recalled him into his ball. Tristan and Rafi did the same for their Pokémon. "Quickly, get your Grovyle into its ball," Tristan commanded.

"I don't have any Poké Balls with me!" Quinn shouted, moments before a KrokoVile bashed his legs out under him with its tail.

Tristan kicked it aside but another KrokoVile headbutted him, sending him falling onto Electra. As Rafi ran in to help, a KrokoVile grabbed him by the arms and lifted him up. Marianne cried out as another two pinned her against the wall.

"They're too strong for us!" Quinn yelled in horror.

Winded and bruised, Tristan could only watch helplessly as two KrokoViles stood over him and Electra, their jaws ready to bite down on him...

"HEY, FREAK-O-ROKS!" came a deep commanding voice behind them. "Step away from the children!"

Suddenly, a blue blur streaked through the throng, taking out the KrokoViles in front of Tristan and Electra. Tristan watched as the blur then snatched Rafi away and attacked the ones that trapped Marianne. The remaining KrokoViles snarled and advanced on the figure, but then a glowing blue orb flew out and took them out in a single blast.

Tristan turned and saw a strange looking Pokémon coming down the street. It looked almost like a Lucario, but it looked more powerful than any other Lucario he had ever seen. The black appendages on its head were longer, its paws were black and red with two bony spikes and its tail was white like its belly and bushy.

"Thanks for the help, old friend," said the voice from earlier.

Tristan and the others looked around and got their first proper glimpse of their rescuer. He was clad in a dark blue suit of armor with a yellow breastplate marked by the symbol of a fist, black gloves, black boots, and a black belt. The figure's face was hidden behind a blue helmet patterned like a Lucario, with a long snout and a visor shaped like an upside-down T. In each hand, he held a silver sai blade shaped like Lucario's Metal Claw.

Putting away his blades, the helmeted figure checked over Rafi. "Are you unharmed?"

"A little shaken, but I'm okay," Rafi replied uncertainly.

"Good," the figure replied. "I was afraid that I would be too late."

"Too late for what?" Tristan asked as he and Electra got to their feet. "Who are you? And what were those things? Did you have something to do with this?"

"No, the KrokoViles are not my creation." The figure sighed and turned to face the trainers. "I realize that you have a lot of questions to ask and I will answer them in due time, but it's not safe to do so here." At that moment, another group of KrokoViles emerged from an alleyway. "We have to go now. Stay with me if you want to live! Lucario, take that Grovyle with you. I may need to study it."

Before anyone could argue, Lucario had picked up Quinn's Grovyle and ran to the figure's side just as he pulled out a small green ball and threw it at his feet, causing a flash of light that made the KrokoViles cringe. When the light faded, the figure and the five trainers had disappeared.

As the KrokoViles snarled in disappointment, Sharphound pushed his way to the front and stared at the empty space where the humans had been earlier. "This doesn't bode well," he growled. "I'd better warn Yvestros." He turned to the Poké-Mutants. "The rest of you, stay here and take over the city!"

* * *

When Tristan opened his eyes again, they were no longer standing in the streets of Lumiose. Instead, they were lying next to a massive statue of a Lucario similar to the one they'd seen earlier. He looked over and saw Marianne helping up the Pokémon Ranger and the other girl sitting up, rubbing her head. "Ow!" she groaned. "I think my retinas got burned out."

"My glasses! Where are my glasses?" Rafi crawled into view, feeling around the floor in panic.

"Here." The helmeted hero stepped up to Rafi, replacing the spectacles on his face. "Be more careful with these things."

As Tristan got to his feet, he took in his surroundings. The statue sat in the middle of a massive room. A spiral staircase wound its way up the wall of the room. "Where are we?"

"You are in the Tower of Mastery, just outside Shalour City," the helmeted man replied. "I transported you here using the Natu Teleport Orb. It's a little overwhelming, but it does the job."

"Where's my Grovyle?" the Pokémon Ranger demanded.

"I'll show you." The man pressed a hidden button on the statue's pedestal and a door opened, revealing a hidden staircase. "Follow me."

At the bottom of the stairs, Tristan and the others found themselves in a massive underground chamber. A large TV screen covered one wall, above a bank of controls. On the other side of the room, they saw a row of huge doors, and next to the doors were a row of beds.

"Grovyle!" Quinn ran up to the nearest bed where his partner lay still. "What's wrong with him?"

"Don't be scared, he's unharmed." The figure went up to his side. "Lucario did a scan of his aura and found no fatal injuries and no sign that his life force has been drained. He should be active in less than an hour, and so would the rest of your Pokémon."

"Life force? What life force?" Marianne asked.

"And more to the point, what's going on here?" Tristan yelled. "Everything's going crazy back at Lumiose, and you seem to be the only one who knows what's happening. So come then, who are you?"

The man seemed to think it over then he nodded. "I guess you ought to know the truth at least. Order's Light, return!"

In an instant, the man's costume disappeared, revealing his true appearance: a man in his early fifties with a single plume of blond hair on his balding head and owlish eyebrows that dropped to his shoulders, wearing a gray shirt and sweatpants, a red belt and running shoes. On his wrist, he wore a watch-like device.

"My name is Gurkinn," the man stated. "People sometimes call me the Mega Evolution Guru, but really, I am your only hope against the KrokoViles."

"And what exactly are these 'KrokoViles'?" Marianne asked, adding finger-quotes to the Poké-Mutants' name.

"They are the foot soldiers of the sinister wizard, Yvestros."

"And who, may I ask, is Yvestros?" Tristan demanded.

"How do I explain this?" Gurkinn took in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "Alright, do you know anything about the Legendary Pokemon, Yveltal?"

"Oh, I know!" Rafi cried, raising his hand. "Yveltal is known as the Destruction Pokémon. It was said that when its life came to an end, it absorbs the life energy of any creature in a certain area and turns into a cocoon to be reborn again. Then Xerneas would appear and restore life to the land." Tristan looked at him curiously. "My dad told me the history of Kalos at the Mauville airport."

"Top marks, young man!" Gurkinn's smile quickly faded. "Three thousand years ago, during the end of Yveltal's life, a human happened to venture into an area just moments after Yveltal had drained the energy around. Unfortunately, he ended up right under Yveltal's shadow just as it began to form its cocoon. The dark powers that Yveltal uses to make the cocoon overwhelmed him, twisting his features and altering his mind until he became the first Pokémon-human hybrid!"

He pressed a button on the control panel and the screen lit up, showing a stone tablet carved with a terrifying figure with the head and wings of Yveltal.

"Whoa..." Electra gasped.

"Yvestros gained such terrible powers from that day, including the ability to drain life force and transform humans and Pokémon into horrible mutants like himself. He conquered Kalos all that time ago and had planned to take over the world, were it not for the brave efforts of the Poké Rangers."

"Poké Rangers?" Tristan asked. "You mean like the ones in Hoenn?"

"I've heard of one team from the Johto region," Electra added.

"And there were a few of them down in Verger too," Quinn replied.

"Yes. Over the years, there have been many stories of the Poké Rangers across the world, each capable of channeling the powers of a certain Pokémon into their bodies. But these are Kalos' very own Poké Rangers, better known as the Knights of Order!"

The picture on the screen changed to show another stone tablet, this one showing eighteen humans in costumes just like Gurkinn wore earlier. "The Knights of Order were brought together by a power granted to them by Zygarde, the Order Pokémon, to restore balance to Kalos. Working together, they were able to defeat Yvestros' mutants, but Yvestros took his revenge on them, wiping out all but six of the Knights. Aided by Zygarde, the last Knights were able to stop Yvestros once and for all, sealing him and his men in the deepest tunnels of Terminus Cave."

Gurkinn turned to the others with a grim expression. "But now Yvestros is free once again, and already he's begun his invasion to reconquer Kalos."

"So what does this have to do with us?" Marianne asked.

"When Yvestros broke free, my Lucario was able to sense it," Gurkinn explained. "Years of meditation have granted him the ability to see things happening from far, far away through the powers of the aura."

At that moment, a Lucario stepped into the room. Tristan stared at it in confusion; this Lucario looked just like any other Lucario, except for the leather gauntlet on its arm with a shining marble-like stone in it. "That can't be the same Lucario that saved us earlier."

"He is," Gurkinn replied. "He looked different earlier because he was Mega Evolved. But that's another story for another time. Anyway, using the power of the aura, Lucario discovered that in Lumiose City, five young trainers had arrived; five trainers that were, in fact, the living descendants of the Poké Rangers that defeated Yvestros!"

"Wait a second... you think it's us?" Electra burst out laughing. "That's gotta be the dumbest thing I've ever heard!"

"You think I'm joking?" Gurkinn retorted. "I assure you, I am very dead serious. Lucario's aura never lies; you have the exact same aura that the original Knights of Order have. As a matter of fact, I too am a descendant of a Knight of Order. Did my heroic rescue from earlier not prove it conclusively?"

Electra's laughter stopped and she bowed her head.

"That is why I brought you here," Gurkinn went on. "To tell you this long-forgotten history and ask you to help reform the Knights of Order again."

"And why should we trust you on this?" Marianne asked.

Gurkinn changed the image on the screen, showing them Lumiose City overrun with KrokoViles. "Because if you don't, then the Kalos region as you know it will be no more."

* * *

"How is this possible?!" Yvestros slammed his gnarled fist against the armrest of his throne. "How could one of the Knights of Order still be alive?!" He rounded on Mothitelle. "You told me that no one had heard of them in this region!"

"Before you jump to conclusions, may I remind you how long we had been asleep?" Mothitelle replied calmly. "It's possible that this Fighting Knight might have nothing to do with the original Knights of Order that defeated us."

"He did look very similar to the leader from the past," Sharphound recalled. "And his Lucario was in its Mega Evolved state."

"Hmmm..." Yvestros rubbed his chin in thought. "Perhaps this is a descendant of the original Knights, and those children he rescued. Could they also be descendants too?"

"If it is true, My Lord, we must recall the KrokoViles," Sableteur said nervously. "Remember how strong those Knights of Order were? What if these new ones beat us just as easily?"

"No!" Yvestros yelled, rising off his throne. "Even if the new Knights are just as good as their ancestors, there are only six of them. We can still overwhelm them with our superior numbers! Sharphound, return to the city and prepare the final push. Once Lumiose falls, the rest of Kalos will quickly follow."

"At once, My Lord." Sharphound bowed his head as Yvestros sent him away with a flap of his wings.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Tristan said slowly. "You're telling us that we are the descendants of these Poké Rangers, or Knights of Order, from the past and that we must take up the mantle ourselves if we want to save the world?"

"I know it's hard to believe, I was the same when my father and his father before him told me," Gurkinn admitted. "But I know in my heart that the stories are true, and all I ask is that you trust me and join forces with me to take on Yvestros and his minions."

He went over to a small box on a table and picked it up. "In this box are the ancient medallions held by the Knights of Order. At the moment, only six remain, the other twelve scattered across Kalos. If you wish to continue the legacy of the Knights, step forward."

For a few moments, nobody spoke. Then, at last, Quinn stepped forward. "You said that these Knights were assembled to keep the balance of the world. I became a Pokémon Ranger to help those that can't help themselves. Count me in."

"And me," Electra added, stepping up. "Those freaks tried to hurt Ampharos and Pikachu; I'm ready for some payback!"

Marianne was next to move. "I'm with you too. I mean, if we don't, who else will?"

Tristan, however, was a little more hesitant. "I don't know if I should. I came here to become a Pokémon trainer, but this is way bigger than that. I'm not sure if I'm ready for this."

"Come on, Tristan," Rafi said. "You heard what he said. We're the only ones who can stop this. If we don't, then the world will be destroyed. Isn't the fate of the world better than beating the Pokémon League? I certainly think so." He stepped up to the others. "Let's kick some Poké-Mutant butts!"

Tristan chuckled at his friend's attitude. "Okay, then, I guess I'm in too."

"Good, then let's begin." Gurkinn opened the box, pulled out the five medallions and went up to the young trainers. "Tristan Mitchell, your aura shows that you are of a rash nature, but I know that you can have the will to face your enemies. Thus, you are granted the medallion of the Blaziken Fire Knight."

"I'll do my best," Tristan declared, taking the coin.

"Quinn Westwood, you are a more hardy individual, with the deepest connection with Pokémon than anyone I had ever known. I trust that you can use this connection to save the world. I hereby give you the medallion of the Sceptile Grass Knight."

"Thank you," Quinn replied, taking his medallion.

"Marianne Brooke, you have a calm outlook on life, as calm as the oceans that surround Kalos. Regardless, you were most willing to help protect this land. Therefore, you shall wield the medallion of the Blastoise Water Knight."

With a smile, Marianne accepted her medallion.

"Raphael O'Donovan, though your heart is timid, your actions are bold. You are the epitome of courage, being scared and yet acting in spite of it. So you shall be given the medallion of the Pidgeot Flying Knight."

"Yes sir," Rafi replied, eagerly taking his coin.

"Electra Fielding, you are fast and nimble, all qualities of hastiness. And yet you never act without being aware of your surroundings. So you shall receive the medallion of the Ampharos Electric Knight."

"Awesome!" Electra cried, taking her coin.

"You will also need these." Gurkinn gave them each a small device almost like a Pokétch with two buttons on the sides, similar to the one he wore. "Once powered with the medallions, the Knight Morphers will allow you to gain the armor and weapons needed to battle Yvestros' minions. Now we must hurry, the KrokoViles will have completely overrun the city." He went over to a metal doorway next to the console. "I'll take you back using the Transportation Door; it should be a smoother ride than the Natu Orb. You ready to fight back?"

Tristan tightened the strap of his Morpher round his wrist, slotted his medallion inside and gave a willing smirk. "Let's do this!"

* * *

They reappeared in the city next to one of the main entrances on Northern Boulevard. The streets were completely deserted save for the gangs of KrokoViles milling around the houses and buildings.

"They didn't kill anyone, did they?" Rafi murmured.

"It doesn't look like it," Gurkinn replied. "They must be keeping them inside their houses, ready to be drained by Yvestros."

"Then we'd better save them before then," Tristan decided. "So how do we change?"

Gurkinn held out his Morpher and pointed to the top right button. "Press this button then say in a powerful voice, 'Order's Light, Ignite'. The medallions will do the rest. Let's do it now!"

With that, Tristan, Rafi, Marianne, Quinn, Electra, and Gurkinn pressed their buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The transformation happened all at once. A burst of dark blue light shot out of Gurkinn's Morpher and formed the shape of a fist which flew up and crashed into Gurkinn, forming the Fighting Knight armor.

Tristan watched as a jet of flame burst out of his Morpher, rising up over his head and sweeping down over his body. When the flames faded, he was now wearing a bright red outfit with a silver breastplate marked with a fire symbol. A pair of dark gray gloves appeared on his hands, orange boots covered his feet, and a yellow belt formed around his waist. A final burst of fire swept over his head, forming into a Blaziken-themed helmet with a hooked beak and a V-shaped visor.

Quinn saw a whirlwind of leaves shooting out of his Morpher, swirling out in front of him and then striking his body, forming his armor. His costume was similar to Tristan's, except it was bright green, the belt was red, and his red breastplate bore the symbol of two leaves. The last wave of leaves formed around his head, transforming into a Sceptile-themed helmet with a triangular snout and a semi-circular visor.

Marianne gasped as a torrent of water gushed out of her Morpher, forming a wave that crashed over her body and created her armor. Unlike the others, her armor was bright blue with a long white skirt instead of a belt and a creamy-white breastplate marked with a wave symbol. A smaller wave crashed over her head, creating a Blastoise-themed helmet with a rounded snout and a crescent visor.

Rafi jumped as a gust of wind and feathers blew out of his Morpher, shifting into a bird shape that soared in a sweeping curve and crashed into him. The armor that appeared looked like Tristan's and Quinn's, but his armor was mainly white with a brown breastplate marked by a wing symbol and pink boots. The final batch of feathers landed on his head, transforming into a Pidgeot-themed helmet with a triangle visor and a pointed pink beak.

Electra nearly stumbled as a bolt of lightning shot out of her Morpher, hitting the clouds and sending a larger bolt over her body. When the lighting disappeared, she was dressed in a costume similar to Marianne's, but bright yellow with a long black skirt and a white breastplate marked with two crossed lightning bolts. A surge of electricity zapped over her head, forming her Ampharos-themed helmet with a rounded snout and a bar-shaped visor.

"Knights of Order, united!" Gurkinn shouted, throwing up his fist.

"United!" the other Knights yelled.

Hearing the yells, the KrokoViles turned and snarled menacingly, glaring angrily at the Knights.

"Whoa!" Tristan gasped, looking down at his hands. "This feels incredible."

"Look at us," Rafi cried. "Our armor is so cool!"

"And I feel supercharged!" Electra agreed.

"As much as I concur with your statements, we do have more pressing matters than this," Quinn pointed out.

"He's right," Marianne replied. "How about we put our new powers to the test?"

At that moment, the KrokoViles charged at the Knights, raising their claws and baring their teeth.

"Here they come!" Gurkinn yelled. "Get ready to fight!"

Quinn and Electra both went into a flying kick, taking down two KrokoViles. Tristan grabbed another by its wrists before it could scratch his armor and flung it into the side of a building. Rafi ducked the claws of a fourth then swung his leg out, sweeping its legs out before he punched it in the throat. Marianne kicked a fifth in its stomach and then punched it in the snout, sending it falling back on its fellows. Gurkinn took care of the rest with a flurry of punches.

"Is that all of them?" Tristan asked.

"Not quite," came a growling voice above them. "You still have to deal with me."

The Knights looked up just as a new figure jumped off a building's roof and landed in front of them. Its main body was like a Bisharp, but the face and tail were that of a Houndoom. The white gloves had long sharp blades on the end and two horns sprouted out the top of the metal helmet.

"Are you the leader of this rabble?" Electra demanded.

"I am Sharphound, Yvestros' most loyal general," the Poké-Mutant growled. "And you lot have become the newest thorn in my side."

"Make that five newer thorns and an old one that never left," Gurkinn retorted. "We've got a message to send to your master."

"No need to tell me anything," Sharphound snapped, raising his gloves as the last group of KrokoViles appeared at his side. "Because dead men tell no tales!"

Gurkinn turned to the others. "Guys, hold out your hands."

"We're not surrendering now, are we?" Tristan asked.

"No, just hold them out in front of you." As the Knights obeyed, Gurkinn yelled out, "Weapons of Order, engage!"

In a matter of seconds, six weapons appeared in their hands.

"Cool!" Rafi breathed, as he held up a crossbow styled like a Pidgeot's wings and drew out an arrow shaped like a feather. "Pidgeot Feather Bow!"

Tristan held up a long sword with a red hilt and a Blaziken pattern on it. "Blaziken Fire Sword!"

Marianne had received a large weapon shaped like the cannon of a Blastoise, with a blue pattern. "Blastoise Water Cannon!"

Quinn's weapons were a pair of daggers with a Grovyle pattern on them. "Sceptile Leaf Dirks!"

And Electra now held a large mallet with an Ampharos pattern on it. "Ampharos Thunder Hammer!"

Gurkinn held up his Lucario patterned blades. "Lucario Claw Blades!"

"Oh, so you've got your little toys with you too," Sharphound grunted. "They still won't help you, though. KrokoViles, ATTACK!"

With loud roars, the Poké-Mutant army charged at the Knights.

Tristan swung his Fire Sword around, killing four KrokoViles in one go. Electra smacked two KrokoViles with her mallet, sending them flying back into the wall of a building. Quinn lunged forward and sliced a KrokoVile, already moving onto another by the time the first one was vaporized. Marianne and Rafi stayed at the back, shooting the KrokoViles with jets of water or feather arrows.

Gurkinn meanwhile charged right up to Sharphound, Claw Blades raised. Sharphound blocked the attack with his bladed gloves then whipped out his tail, lashing it around Gurkinn's leg and trying to pull him. Gurkinn braced his leg and swung his Blade down, slicing off most of Sharphound's tail.

"AARRGH!" Sharphound yelled, stumbling to one side. Angrily he opened his mouth and spat out a jet of flame, driving Gurkinn back. Then he charged in with his blades glowing purple. "Shadow Slash!"

Gurkinn raised his Blades to defend himself but the attack still drove him back. Sharphound kicked him in the stomach, sending him to his knees, then he raised his blade, ready to deliver the final blow...

At the last second, Tristan charged in and tackled into his side, pushing him away from Gurkinn. Marianne raised her cannon and fired a stream of water, striking Sharphound in the face. Quinn and Electra jumped in and delivered a double punch to his snout before he swung his arm around and knocked them away. Rafi fired one of his feather arrows, striking him on the arm. As Sharphound recoiled in pain, Tristan threw a final kick in his stomach, driving him to his knees.

"Impossible," Sharphound panted. "There's no way that I could be defeated by someone so inexperienced."

Gurkinn walked up to him, throwing his severed tail at his face. "Now as I was saying, I have a message for you to pass on. Tell Yvestros that the Knights of Order are back in town and we will defend this region from your attacks. Now get out of my sight."

Sharphound got to his feet. "You may have won this round, Knights, but one day, you will fail. And Kalos will be ours!" With that, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"We should have killed him where he stood," Quinn muttered.

"And miss out on warning Yvestros?" Gurkinn replied.

At that moment, a chorus of cheers rang out from the buildings as the people and their Pokémon emerged, staring and pointing at the Knights.

Tristan looked around in delight. "Looks like we're heroes now!"

"I could get used to this," Electra chuckled.

* * *

"Those insolent Knights!" Yvestros yelled. "They could never leave well enough alone." He swung out his wing, slapping Sharphound in the face. "How could you possibly fail to those children?"

"My apologies, Lord," Sharphound winced, rubbing his cheek.

"What do we do now?" Mothitelle asked.

"Looks like we're gonna have to step up our game," Yvestros decided. "Sabelteur, make up as many batches of KrokoViles as you can for our next move."

"At once, My Lord," Sabelteur replied.

Yvestros sat back in his chair. "One day, Knights of Order, one day..."

* * *

Once the crowd had dispersed, the Knights of Order went into a hidden alley and demorphed. Gurkinn raised his Morpher to his mouth and pressed the second button. "Lucario, the city is now clear. You can bring the Door back again."

"What's that?" Tristan asked.

"That button activates the Morpher's communicator," Gurkinn explained. "If you're ever separated or you see any sign of Yvestros' monsters, you can use it to keep in touch with one another."

At that moment, a glowing door appeared on a wall.

"Are we going back to the Tower?" Rafi asked.

"I am, someone needs to keep an eye on things," Gurkinn replied. "You five must go back to your families and make sure that they're safe."

"So what happens next?" Tristan asked. "Are we just gonna go back to our normal lives after this?"

"As long as Yvestros is still alive, your lives may never be normal again. But after seeing what you did today, I know that you're ready to face whatever enemies he throws at you."

"Thanks, I guess," Electra muttered.

"Before I go, there are a few rules you need to remember," Gurkinn went on. "You must never reveal your true identities to anyone, except in extreme circumstances. Never use your powers for personal gain. And above all else, you must keep the world in balance. Good luck, my friends." With that, he stepped through the door and vanished in a flash of light.

"So, looks like we're gonna be working together for a while," Tristan said to the others.

"Yeah," Quinn replied. "I'm gonna head back to my campsite. My friends will be wondering where I am."

"I'd better head home too," Electra added. "My parents must be worried sick. See you later." With that, she set off down the road.

Quinn made to follow when the door of light appeared again and Gurkinn stuck his head out. "Oh, I almost forgot, Quinn. Your Grovyle's just woken up and he wants to see you."

Just then, Grovyle came bounding out the door. " _Grove, grovyle?_ "

"Grovyle, you're alright!" Quinn beamed, hugging his partner.

" _Grovyle? Grove-gro-grovyle?_ "

"Uh, how do I explain this?" Quinn muttered.

"You know what, you can tell your Pokémon the truth," Gurkinn decided. "I mean, who are they gonna tell?" With that, he disappeared through the door again.

"Okay, see you around," Quinn called, setting off into the streets.

Tristan, Rafi, and Marianne set off too, heading back to the Pokemon lab. As they arrived, Sycamore and Robert came out. "Rafi, you're alright!" Robert shouted.

" _Mincci, cino!_ " Lucky chirped, bounding over to his owner.

"What happened?" Sycamore asked. "We tried to go out and find you, but those... things kept us trapped inside."

Tristan glanced quickly at Marianne and came up with a quick lie. "We, uh, got trapped at the Cafe Soleil. Then these guys in really cool costumes appeared and drove the monsters away."

"Well, whoever they are, we owe them a debt of gratitude," Robert sighed, rubbing his son's head. "At least you're safe and sound."

* * *

Tristan came home with his mind in a tizzy. In such a short space of time, he had made four new friends, received his Pokedex, fought off some monsters and joined an ancient team of superheroes. And in spite of all this, there was still no sign of his father. He dialled his number on the phone, but it just kept ringing until the voicemail responded. He then tried to call his mother again, but again nothing.

With a sigh, Tristan turned to his Torchic and patted his head. "Well, buddy, looks like it's gonna be just you and me for a while."

" _Torchic,_ " the Fire Type chirped.

Tristan sank into the couch and put his head in his hands. "Oh Dad, if only you could see me now..."

* * *

 **And that's the end of that chapter. There's not gonna be a preview for the next episode this time because I don't know what to do next. But I will say that the next episode may have the appearance of some very special weapons. I think you may have an idea what they might be.**

 **If anyone has any suggestions about what types of Poke-Mutant I should use in each episode, please let me know in the reviews or send me a PM. I might not use all of them, but I'll do as much as I can.**

 **See you then.**


	4. From Aid To Zord

_Previously on Poke Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _As Yvestros' army of KrokoViles began their conquest of Lumiose, Tristan, Rafi and Marianne met up with Quinn and Electra but were overwhelmed by the Poké-Mutants. At the last second, a mysterious figure and his Mega Evolved Lucario rescued them and teleported them to the Tower of Mastery. The heroic man revealed himself as Gurkinn, the Mega Evolution Guru, who explained that the five trainers were descendants of the original Knights of Order and recruited them as the new generation of Knights. Aided by the powers of the medallions and the Weapons of Order, the Knights of Order were able to clear out the KrokoViles and stand their ground against their general, Sharphound. Needless to say, Yvestros was unimpressed and vowed to eliminate the Knights..._

* * *

Chapter 3: From Aid To Zord

 _Ding!_ The elevator doors opened and Gurkinn stepped out, glancing around the gym floor. It had been a while since he'd visited the Lumiose Gym, but he wasn't here for a challenge, he was here on business.

As he reached the center of the Gym floor, a young blonde-haired girl bounded up to him. "Hello, sir. Are you here to face the Gym Leader?"

"Not exactly," Gurkinn replied. "I have something important to discuss with him. Can you take me to him?"

"Sure." The girl led him to the other side of the Gym, where they saw a young man in blue overalls and wearing a backpack with an extended arm sticking out doing repairs on one of the other elevators. "Clemont, you got a visitor."

Clemont looked up and smiled when he saw who was there. "Gurkinn, so nice to see you again!"

"I have something I need to tell you." Gurkinn glanced at the young girl. "In private."

Sensing the serious tone, Clemont nodded. "Bonnie, would you mind checking on my Heliolisk?"

"Aw, but I wanna know what's so important!" Bonnie whined.

"Later, Bon," Clemont said with a smile that looked genuine. "Off you go."

Once Bonnie had left, still pouting, Clemont turned back to Gurkinn. "Alright, I'm all ears."

* * *

Rafi paced along the floor, scratching his head and rubbing his chin as he thought long and hard. "Hmm, mmm, hmmm..."

"Come on, Rafi, it's not that difficult!" Tristan complained. "Just pick one!"

"But they're all so cute and cool," Rafi argued. "How can I pick just one of them?"

"Don't worry, Rafi," Professor Sycamore chuckled. "Choosing your starting Pokémon isn't just about how cute they are, it's about how strong they will eventually become later in life, just like a Pokémon trainer becomes stronger in their journey."

"Why does he need to choose anyway?" Tristan asked. "He's already got Lucky and Orville, aren't they enough?"

"Lucky came to Rafi at the most difficult time of his life," Robert explained. "And I caught Orville so he could learn the basics of training a Pokémon. This will be the first Pokémon that he chooses himself. So be patient just a little longer."

"Okay!" Rafi cried. "I'm gonna choose... Chespin!" But as Sycamore's hand moved towards the Poké Ball, Rafi suddenly cut in. "No, wait, I mean, Fennekin! Er, or maybe Froakie? No, no, I'm going back to Chespin. No, Fennekin-"

"Oh, for Arceus' sake!" Tristan yelled. "I'm outta here." He turned and left the lab.

Rafi sighed and looked away. "I'm sorry, Dad. It's just so hard to choose."

"It's alright, son," Robert comforted, patting him on the back. "Go with Tristan for a while. I'm sure the Professor won't mind the wait."

"Of course not," Sycamore smiled. "But come back soon, other trainers will want to pick too."

"Yes sir," Rafi muttered, heading out the door.

* * *

Rafi met up with Tristan outside the Pokémon Center, talking with Marianne, Electra and Quinn. "Hey guys."

"Hey," Electra called.

"Finally chosen your Pokémon?" Tristan asked.

"Er, no," Rafi admitted. "I kinda gave up after you stormed out on me."

Tristan suddenly felt very guilty. "Oh dude, I didn't mean to throw you off. I was just a little high-strung lately since my dad disappeared and Mom's cut off, coupled with the fact that we became the next Knights of Order just yesterday. Sorry for taking it out on you."

"That's okay," Rafi said. "Choosing your first Pokémon was harder than I thought. Chespin looked pretty cool, but Fennekin felt very soft to the touch. And Froakie seemed so calm and collected."

"Everyone has a tough time choosing their first Pokémon," Marianne reassured him.

"Not for me," Tristan cut in. "Torchic was a present from my dad."

"I caught Grovyle as an initiation test for the Pokémon Ranger Academy," Quinn added.

"I met Pikachu in Ilex Forest when it was a Pichu," Electra added.

"You're not helping, guys," Marianne snapped before turning back to the shortest Knight. "Look, Rafi, what I'm trying to say is you shouldn't choose your Pokémon based on what they look like. You choose it based on what you think is good. The answer will come to you, in here." She patted her chest.

Rafi smiled. "Thanks, Marianne. I'll think it over. So how did you choose your first Pokémon?"

"Oh, I chose Squirtle simply because I love Water Pokémon," Marianne replied, the others falling over in disbelief.

* * *

Yvestros paced around his throne, deep in thought. "Those Knights of Order are gonna be a problem, I can already tell. What we need to do is slow them down somehow."

"My Lord, I have a suggestion," Sharphound said. "The Fighting Knight is the leader of the Knights. Perhaps if we separate him from the others, we may stand a chance of beating them."

"Good thinking, Sharphound," Yvestros chuckled wickedly. "I'll grant you permission to lure the Fighting Knight out of the way."

"We may need a distraction to keep the other Knights from looking for him," Mothitelle pointed out.

"Would another monster do the trick, my Lord?" Sabelteur asked. "I've managed to scrounge up a few suitable samples of Pokémon DNA for our needs."

"Yes, indeed," Yvestros purred, rubbing his hands eagerly. "Get to work, Sabelteur!"

* * *

"This is incredible!" Clemont cried out in glee. "When those monsters appeared the other day, I had a feeling the Knights of Order would return! How did they fare against them?"

"They did as well as I hoped," Gurkinn replied. "But their return would make Yvestros a very dangerous opponent indeed. That's why I came here, to see if your secret project is finished yet. So far, you've done a brilliant job in setting up the Knight's Base in the Tower, and the Transportation Door and the Natu Orbs worked perfectly."

"Well, it was nothing really," Clemont muttered. "It's like I always say: the future is now, thanks to science! As for your project, I think I outdid myself on this one. Follow me."

They went into an elevator and Clemont pressed a secret code into the controls inside. When the elevator reached the bottom floor, they stepped out into a large dark room. Clemont flicked the lights, revealing five massive robots standing in the centre of the room. "It took a lot of work, and I had to swear all the scientists and technicians to secrecy, but I think it all came out well. Unfortunately, we've had some technical faults with Lucario, I don't know when it'll be ready."

"We'll just have to make do until then." Gurkinn looked over the robots in great detail. Each was built in the form of a certain Pokémon; Blaziken, Blastoise, Sceptile, Ampharos and Pidgeot. "And what's the ultimate form look like?"

Clemont picked up a set of plans and unrolled it on a desk. "See for yourself."

Gurkinn looked at the image on the plans and smiled. "Clemont, my boy, this could be your greatest feat of science ever witnessed!"

* * *

"Is the monster ready yet?" Yvestros yelled impatiently.

"Just finished, my Lord," Sabelteur called, stepping into the room with his new creation. "May I introduce... Infernotaur!"

The monster had the body of an Infernape and the head of a Tauros, covered in dark brown fur and a fiery ruff on its neck. In one hand, it held a triple-head whip shaped like the three tails of Tauros, except that the furry tips were on fire.

"Excellent work, Sabelteur," Yvestros chuckled. "Infernotaur, are you willing to serve me in the destruction of the Knights of Order and the conquest of Kalos?"

"Willing and able, Lord Yvestros!" Infernotaur grunted.

"Good. Now, Sharphound, find the Fighting Knight and separate them from the others. Once he is gone, Infernotaur shall challenge them and destroy them! Take some KrokoViles with you."

"Yes, my Lord," Sharphound growled.

"Consider it done," Infernotaur added.

Yvestros sent them away with a flap of his wings.

* * *

As Gurkinn left the Gym, he saw Tristan and Marianne coming towards him. "Hello, my friends!"

"Oh, hey, Gurkinn," Marianne called. "What were you doing here?"

"Just paying the Gym Leader a little visit," Gurkinn replied. "He's been helping me with setting up the base for the Knights of Order."

"Does he know about us?" Tristan asked nervously.

"He knows about all of you," Gurkinn said. "But don't worry, our secret's safe with him."

"Oh," Tristan sighed in relief. "Well, I was coming over to challenge him. Now that I'm a qualified Trainer, I thought this would be a good place to start."

"A reasonable assumption," Gurkinn said. "But I'm afraid that Clemont will only accept trainers who have at least four other badges."

"That's what I tried to tell him," Marianne argued. "But would he listen? No!"

"What?" Tristan cried. "So I came all this way for nothing?!"

"Not exactly," came a familiar voice. "Now that you're here, I can deal with you!"

Tristan, Marianne and Gurkinn whirled around to see Sharphound appearing before them.

"Sharphound!" Tristan yelled. "What are you doing back?"

"Don't worry, I'm not here for you." Sharphound pointed at Gurkinn. "My quarrel is with your fearless leader. Come and get me, if you dare!"

"You'll have to get through us first!" Marianne cried, as she and Tristan raised their fists.

Gurkinn quickly looked around the plaza, checking that the coast was clear. "We're good to morph. Let's do it."

He, Tristan, and Marianne pressed their Morpher buttons together. "Order's light, Ignite!"

Their respective elements erupted out of the Morphers and crashed into their bodies, creating their armor.

"You're going down, Sharphound!" Tristan yelled.

"Bring it!" Sharphound countered.

Tristan charged in and threw a powerful uppercut on Sharphound. The Poké-Mutant retaliated by swinging out his bladed glove, striking Tristan in the chest and knocking him aside.

Marianne jumped into a high kick, hitting Sharphound in the stomach. With a growl, Sharphound fired a jet of flame at her, making her armor spark wildly.

"Careful!" Gurkinn shouted. "If you take too much damage, your armor will disappear!"

"Shadow Slash!" Sharphound's blades glowed purple and he swung them out, hitting Marianne hard. As she fell to the ground, her armor flashed white and faded away.

Tristan ran in to help, but Sharphound struck him too, making his armor disappear in the same way.

Gurkinn ran up to them, holding out his hands. "Weapons of Or-"

"Not so fast!" Sharphound interrupted as he pounced on Gurkinn and grabbed his arms, smoke forming around his body. "You're coming with me!"

"Gurkinn!" Tristan yelled as he jumped at the smoke. But it was too late. Sharphound and Gurkinn were already gone.

"Dammit!" he snapped, slamming his fist on the pavement. "We've lost them!"

"What do we do now?" Marianne asked sadly.

"We'd better let the others know," Tristan decided. "And work out our next plan."

* * *

When the smoke faded, Gurkinn found himself in the middle of a vast desert plain. "Route 13..."

"That's right," Sharphound snarled, standing over him. "The perfect setting for your demise!"

* * *

Rafi looked at each of the starting Pokémon with a quizzical expression. "Hmm, which one to choose?"

"Take your time," Sycamore said.

Taking a breath, Rafi put his hand on his chest. "Okay, what do I pick?"

Suddenly, a loud beeping noise rang out. Robert and Sycamore looked around in confusion, trying to locate the source. Rafi glanced at the Morpher on his wrist. "Uh-oh, the others need my help."

"What was that?" Robert asked.

"Uh... I, uh, I have to go to the bathroom," Rafi cried, running out the door. "Be right back!"

* * *

Once he'd joined the others, Tristan and Marianne told them about their scuffle with Sharphound and the abduction of Gurkinn.

"This is bad," Quinn sighed, shaking his head slowly. "How can he manage to take on Sharphound alone?"

"More to the point, where are they?" Electra asked. "They could be anywhere in Kalos."

"We'd better start searching for him fast," Tristan replied. "If we move quickly-"

"Wait!" Rafi cried, pointing at a TV screen on a nearby building. "What's that thing?"

Tristan, Quinn, Marianne, and Electra all turned and saw an image of a Tauros-headed monster stomping around a field, chasing away people who got too close.

"Where are the Knights of Order?" it bellowed, lashing its whip and setting the grass alight. "Come out and face me, wherever you are!"

"Think that's another one of Yvestros' monsters?" Marianne asked.

"How can we do this without Gurkinn?" Rafi asked. "We don't stand a chance against that guy on our own!"

Tristan scowled and stepped forward, facing his friends. "Gurkinn may not be with us right now, but if he was, he'd be disappointed at that negative attitude. Don't forget we're Knights of Order now, and we are going to destroy that monster and defend this city whatever the cost! Are you with me?"

"Yes!" the others yelled, encouraged by Tristan's speech.

Tristan held up his fist. "Then let's get out there and rein in that bull!"

* * *

Sharphound swung out his blades, knocking Gurkinn down, then raised his foot. "Come on, Knight, fight me!"

Gurkinn rolled to one side, avoiding the stomp, and jumped to his feet. "Claw Blades, engage!"

As the weapons appeared in his hands, he charged forward, bringing them up. Sharphound raised his blades and blocked each attack while lashing out with his own strikes that Gurkinn blocked. For a few moments, the two locked blades with each other, neither of them wanting to relinquish.

"Just give up already!" Sharphound grunted.

"Not likely," Gurkinn retorted. "I could do this... all day!"

"Then there's one thing you've forgotten about me..." Sharphound moved closer to his ear and whispered, "I'm not a patient mutant. FLAME CHARGE!"

At once, his body was engulfed in flames and he surged forward, pushing Gurkinn back against a boulder and knocking his weapons away. Sharphound stepped back as Gurkinn fell to the ground, his armor sparking wildly. "You... you cheater!" he snapped.

"Surely you didn't expect a fair fight?" Sharphound goaded. "Too bad, really. Now you'll get to die, alone and wounded, while your precious Knights meet the same fate at the hands of our monster!" With that, he raised his blade to deliver the final blow...

"AURA BLASTER!" Suddenly Gurkinn whipped out a small pistol and fired a glowing blue light, striking Sharphound in the chest and sending him back.

"AAARRRGHH!" Sharphound cried. "What is that thing?"

"Just a little present I picked up from an old friend," Gurkinn replied, getting to his feet. "See, I knew you'd try something like this when the time came, so I had these little gadgets prepared beforehand. And as you should have remembered, I never expect a fair fight from the likes of you." He pointed his pistol again. "Now go! And this time, don't ever come back!" With that, he fired two more shots at Sharphound, making him recoil in pain.

"You may have won this round, Fighting Knight!" Sharphound shouted. "But your friends are probably already dead. Good luck with finding a new team!" And he disappeared with an evil laugh.

"In that case, I'd better hope not," Gurkinn sighed. He holstered his weapon and pressed the left button on his Morpher, activating the communicator. "Lucario, I got separated from the others. Find them and set the Transportation Door between their location and mine. I'm in Route 13."

A few seconds later, the door appeared on the side of the boulder and Gurkinn ran in. "Let's hope the others are still alive..."

* * *

"Come on, Knights of Order!" Infernotaur bellowed as he lashed out his whip, sending Quinn and Marianne flying with burns on their armor. "Is that all you got?"

Rafi shot a feather arrow at the Poké-Mutant, driving him back before he turned his attention on the KrokoViles.

Electra raised her Thunder Hammer and slammed it on the ground, sending out a wave of electricity that wiped out six KrokoViles at once.

Tristan charged towards Infernotaur, holding his sword above his head. Infernotaur swung out with his free hand, knocking the Fire Knight back. Then he lowered his head and charged, catching Tristan between his horns and slamming him into a tree.

"Tristan!" Rafi cried out.

As Tristan fell back, gasping in pain, Infernotaur grabbed him by the throat and started choking him. "Too bad. I was hoping for a real challenge!"

"How's this for size then?!"

Suddenly Infernotaur fell back, as a blast of blue light struck him on the side, forcing him to release Tristan.

"Gurkinn!" Marianne cried out in joy. "You came back!"

Sure enough, the Fighting Knight was standing by the edge of the road, holding a blaster in his hand and smiling, though they couldn't tell with the helmet. "Did you miss me?"

"Whoa, what's with the fancy gun?" Electra asked.

"Just a little something to take the edge off. Here, take these." Gurkinn took out five other guns and handed it to them. "Elemental Blasters, courtesy of Clemont."

With their new guns, the Knights made quick work of the KrokoViles.

Suddenly, Infernotaur barged in with a loud bellow. Tristan fired some shots at him, but they bounced off the Poké-Mutant's tough skin. "Hey, that tickles!"

"Our guns have no effect on this guy," Marianne gasped.

"Don't worry," Gurkinn reassured her. "We have some stronger firepower on our side. Marianne, hold out the Water Cannon. Rafi, stick your Feather Bow underneath it. Quinn, put your Leaf Dirks at the front, either side of the barrel. Electra, put your Thunder Hammer at the back. Tristan, your Fire Sword goes on top."

Once everyone had done what they asked, Gurkinn stuck his Claw Blades next to the bow's base. The ends of Tristan's sword, Quinn's daggers, and Electra's hammer opened up to form four extra barrels, as the whole weapon flashed white.

"Justice Blaster, engaged!" Gurkinn yelled as he hoisted up the weapon, holding it in place with his blades and Rafi's bow. Tristan, Rafi, Marianne, Quinn, and Electra all ran behind Gurkinn.

Infernotaur let out an angry snort as he lowered his head and began to charge.

"Ready, aim, FIRE!" Gurkinn yelled, pulling the trigger.

From the barrels of the Blaster came a powerful burst of rainbow energy, cutting easily through the air before striking Infernotaur full in the forehead. The monster roared in agony as the blast shot through him, throwing him to the ground before he exploded.

"Yes! We did it!" Tristan yelled, high-fiving Marianne.

* * *

"Nooo!" Yvestros yelled, watching the action through a hidden portal. "The Knights can't win this time!"

"Not to worry, my Lord. I prepared for this." Sabelteur took out a bag of powder and sprinkled it on Mothitelle's wings. "With this Power Spore, we can revive our monsters and make them bigger and stronger. They'll crush the Knights of Order underfoot."

"If you had that power, why didn't you make them bigger in the first place?" Sharphound asked.

"Shut up, that's why!" Sabelteur snapped.

"It doesn't matter," Yvestros yelled. "Mothitelle, go out there and revive Infernotaur at once!"

"Yes, my Lord,"Mothitelle replied, vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

"Is everyone all right?" Gurkinn asked.

"A lot better now that you're here," Rafi replied. "What happened with you?"

Before Gurkinn could reply, he saw a cloud of smoke appear in the sky, and another Poké-Mutant, half Venomoth, half Gothitelle, flew into view.

Tristan gasped a little as he saw it. "A b-b-bug guy!"

"Not another one!" Electra cried. "Who are you?"

"I am Mothitelle," the Poké-Mutant replied, hovering over the Knights. "Loyal servant of Yvestros."

"Be careful, guys," Gurkinn explained. "She's another one of Yvestros' generals."

"Come down then," Marianne shouted. "We've got just enough fighting power to take you on."

"Oh, _I'm_ not going to destroy you. He is!" With that, Mothitelle flew over to the remains of Infernotaur and flapped her wings hard. "Power Spore!"

A glowing cloud of dust tumbled from her wings and scattered onto Infernotaur, who opened his eyes and stood up, growing larger and larger until he was twenty times his normal size.

"Did your tablets say anything about this?" Electra asked Gurkinn.

"No," the Fighting Knight breathed. "This is completely new to me."

"Now then, Infernotaur, crush those Knights of Order beneath your mighty feet!" Mothitelle commanded as she disappeared.

"With pleasure, my Lady!" Infernotaur bellowed, his voice shaking the earth.

"I don't think our Justice Blaster is strong enough to take this guy out!" Tristan cried, snapping out of his trance.

"No, but I've got something that can!" Gurkinn pressed the bottom right button on his Morpher. "Release the PokéZords!"

At once, a series of rumbling footsteps shook the ground. The Knights whirled around and saw five giant robots, each built like a different Pokémon, stomping into view on the horizon.

"Whoa!" Rafi gasped. "Are those ours?"

"That they are," Gurkinn replied. "Get inside, quickly. I'll supervise back at the base." With that, he activated the Door and disappeared.

The Rangers ran up to their respective Zords, who struck them with a beam of light and transported them into their cockpits.

"Blaziken PokéZord, online!" Tristan cried.

"Sceptile PokéZord, up and running!" Quinn shouted.

"Blastoise PokéZord, ready to roll!" Marianne added.

"Pidgeot PokéZord, set to fly!" Rafi called.

"Ampharos PokéZord, fully charged!" Electra stated.

"My friends, can you hear me?" Gurkinn's voice called through the cockpit's communicator.

"Loud and clear, Gurkinn," Tristan replied, and the others responded in the same way.

"Alright, listen carefully," Gurkinn explained. "These PokéZords are strong enough on their own, but to take on Infernotaur, you're gonna have to combine them together into the Megazord of Justice! There's a big red button on the panel in front of you. Press it now!"

Tristan slammed his hand on the button, at the same time as the others. "Megazord transformation, activate!"

Each PokéZord flashed white as the command was issued. First, the Blaziken Zord jumped into the air, its arms folding back into its body. At the same time, the Blastoise Zord withdrew its head and limbs into its shell, which opened up on the front and fused over the Blaziken Zord's body, creating the main torso.

Next, the Sceptile and Ampharos Zords lay down on their stomachs and folded in their limbs and tails as they straightened up, the heads resting on their chests. The bottom half joined onto the main torso, forming the legs.

Then, the Pidgeot Zord took to the air, its head and tail folding into its body which then split in half. Each half then joined to either side of the torso upside down, so that the legs formed the arms, while the wings folded over the front of the torso. The completed MegaZord landed on the ground, the Blaziken's beak opening up to reveal a more humanoid face.

The five Knights appeared together in the main cockpit; Tristan was in the centre, with Marianne and Quinn at his left, Rafi and Electra at his right. "Megazord of Justice, ready!" they yelled as the giant robot threw its fist into the air.

"Ohh, very impressive," Infernotaur snorted derisively. "Let's see how quickly I can turn it into molten slag! BURNING TAKE DOWN!" His body became wreathed in flames and he charged towards them.

"Marianne, activate your main attack with the joystick!" Gurkinn ordered.

"Got it!" Marianne cried, throwing her stick forward. "Hydro Cannon!"

A powerful jet of water shot out of the Megazord's shoulder cannons, stopping Infernotaur in his tracks and dousing his flames.

"Do we have attacks like that too?" Rafi asked.

"Now would be a good time to find out," Gurkinn replied.

"Here goes nothing," Electra cried, pushing her stick forward. "Thunder Stomp!"

The Megazord raised its one leg and stamped hard on the ground, sending a surge of electricity into Infernotaur. With an angry snort, the Poké-Mutant lashed out his whip, catching the Megazord's arm.

"Nice try," Rafi cried, throwing his stick out. "Air Cutter!"

The Megazord raised its free hand and brought it down fast, chopping through the whip.

"Wood Hammer!" Quinn yelled, flicking his stick forward.

The other leg swung out, kicking Infernotaur back.

"He's weakening!" Gurkinn cried. "Tristan, it's time to draw out the Megazord's ultimate weapon!"

"Let's go," Tristan yelled. "Mega Sword, engage!"

The Megazord held out its hands, and a large sword appeared.

"Order Slash!" Tristan shouted, throwing his stick forward.

The sword began to glow a brilliant white and the Megazord swung it forward, cutting right through Infernotaur. With a roar of agony, the Poké-Mutant crashed to the ground and exploded once again.

"Well done, guys!" Gurkinn called. "Now it's over!"

"Yippee-ki-yay!" Tristan shouted.

* * *

"Man, Gurkinn, you never cease to amaze us," Marianne chuckled as they met up again in Lumiose City. "First the blasters, then the Justice Blaster and now these PokéZords."

"You wouldn't happen to have a Mew in your pocket also, would you?" Tristan joked.

"Now that's just ridiculous," Gurkinn chuckled. "But now the Zords will be stored in my base so you can call them whenever you need them."

"Anyway, I'd better get back to the lab," Rafi said. "Dad will be wondering where I've gone."

"Don't take too long to choose your Pokémon," Tristan called.

"Don't worry, I know exactly what to pick this time," Rafi replied as he set off down the street. "See you later."

Electra, Quinn, and Marianne also said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, leaving Tristan and Gurkinn in the street.

"I'm proud of you today, Tristan," Gurkinn said. "When I was taken by Sharphound, I was afraid that you guys wouldn't be able to cope. But you were able to bring them together and get them to face Yvestros' monsters."

"Ah, it's no big deal," Tristan replied. "Someone had to do it. We're a team after all."

"Good," Gurkinn smiled. "I won't always be there for you, but I'm glad I have someone to rely on." He activated the Transportation Door and was about to step through when he paused. "And by the way, if you're still up for taking on a Gym, I recommend you start at Santalune City. It's just a few days journey by foot, and make sure to catch another Pokémon for your team."

"Wow! Thanks, Gurkinn," Tristan cried.

"Just remember, don't let being a Knight of Order take over your life. Just stay on your Pokémon journey, and never give up your dreams." With that, he stepped through the Door and disappeared.

Tristan smiled then set off back to the lab, just as Rafi came running out.

"Hey, Tristan, you're just in time," he called, throwing out his Poké Ball. "Meet my new Pokémon, Spiky!"

In a flash of light, a Chespin appeared in front of him. " _Ches, chespin!_ "

"Wow, that's a cool Pokémon!" Tristan cried.

"I know, right?" Rafi replied eagerly. "So what's up?"

"Let's just say I know where we can go for our first Gym battle." Tristan turned and pointed down the road. "Next stop: Santalune City!"

* * *

 **And another episode draws to a close. So much has happened; new weapons and my team's own Megazord.**

 **As always, anyone with ideas for monsters can inform me in the reviews or drop me a PM.**

 **See you next time**


	5. Friends of the Forest

**Just want to quickly point out that this story will be a combination of a Pokémon journey and a Poké Ranger story, just to spice up the formula.**

* * *

 _Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _Gurkinn visited the Lumiose Gym Leader, Clemont, who had been helping him set up the Knights of Order base, to check up on some extra weapons for the Knights of Order. But when he met the others, Sharphound appeared and separated Gurkinn from the other Knights. Though the others were baffled at the news, Tristan was able to rally them together to face Yvestros' new monster, Infernotaur. Initially overpowered, the Knights were saved at the last minute by Gurkinn who had managed to hold off Sharphound, and together they were able to take down Infernotaur by forming their weapons into the Justice Cannon. But then Mothitelle used her new ability to make Infernotaur grow, but again the Knights destroyed him with help from the PokéZords. Now Tristan and Rafi set their sights on the first Gym of their Pokémon journey, Santalune City..._

* * *

Chapter 4: Friends of the Forest

 _Eterna City_

 _Ten years ago..._

 _Pokémon School had broken up for the summer, and all the children were chatting excitedly to each other about what they were going to do over the holidays. Some were going to another part of Sinnoh, others were travelling to another region entirely. But out of all the children, there was one boy who wasn't mingling with the others, who had already left by the times the kids met up with their friends._

 _Riding his bike down the road, Quinn Westwood stopped outside his home and ran through the door. "I'm home, Mom!"_

" _Hi honey," Mrs Westwood called, coming out of the kitchen. "How was school today?"_

" _It was fine, I guess," Quinn replied, dropping his schoolbag onto the chair. "Can I go and meet my friends now?"_

" _Sure, Quinn." Mrs Westwood gave him a brown paper bag and a bottle of juice. "Here you go, PBJ sandwich and some Oran Berryade. Be careful out there."_

" _Thanks, Mom, I will." Quinn took his lunch and ran out the door, almost bumping into his father on the way out. "Hi, Dad. Bye, Dad."_

 _Mr Westwood watched him go then turned to his wife with a sigh. "He's going back to the forest, isn't he? Hanging out with those wild Pokémon can't be good for him."_

" _Oh, Charles, you know he's happier in the forest than with other kids and we shouldn't judge him for that," Mrs Westwood argued._

" _I know, Sally," Mr Westwood murmured. "It's just it would be nice if he had some human friends for once."_

* * *

 _Present day_

It had been a long trek that lasted two days, but looking around the field, Quinn felt that the journey was definitely worth it. He was standing on Route 3, a small stretch of road between Santalune City and the vast forest ahead of him. At his side were his three closest friends; Grovyle, Roselia and Leafeon. "Well guys, this looks like a good spot to set up camp, right?"

" _Grovyle!_ "

" _Roselia!_ "

" _Leaf-ee!_ "

Leading his friends over to a tree by the edge of the river, Quinn put down his backpack and took out his tent. "Alright, guys, just like usual. Let's get this camp set."

While he and Leafeon unrolled the main tent, Grovyle and Roselia began to set up the tent poles, slotting them into place in the tent. Quinn then hammered the pegs into the ground and Grovyle tied the top rope onto an overhanging branch then Roselia and Leafeon hooked the other ropes onto the pegs.

With a sigh, Quinn wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Good going, everyone. Go rest up by the river now."

The Pokémon went over to the water's edge and slacked their thirst.

"Alright, I'm heading into town for supplies," Quinn said. "Roselia, Leafeon, you guys can come with me. Grovyle, stay here and keep an eye on the camp."

" _Grovyle!_ " The Wood Gecko Pokemon nodded then jumped up onto the tree branch and settled up against the trunk.

Leafeon lay on the ground, allowing Roselia to climb onto his back. Then he stood up.

"Good thinking as always, Leafeon," Quinn smiled as they began to walk. "Now let's go, and see if the others have made it too."

* * *

"What news do you have to report, Sabelteur?" Yvestros asked as he sat on his throne.

"W-well, my Lord," Sabelteur stammered. "It seems that after our last monster, we haven't g-got enough life force. T-there's barely enough to create our armies of KrokoViles."

"That's unacceptable!" Yvestros snapped, slamming his fist on the throne's armrest. "We must get some life force straight away!"

"How?" Sharphound asked. "If we attack a populated area, the Knights of Order will stop us."

"My Lord, if I may suggest?" Mothitelle spoke up. "We could always try some of the wild areas of Kalos for life force. On the outskirts of Santalune City is a vast forest just brimming with Pokémon, and plenty of visitors to drain."

"I should have just enough life force to create a new monster," Sabelteur suggested. "One that could drain the forest of all life."

"Then get to it!"Yvestros commanded.

* * *

"Santalune City!" Rafi cried in joy. "We made it!"

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky cheered.

Tristan looked around the plaza. Compared to Lumiose City, Santalune was much smaller. The buildings looked more rustic and simple, and the streets were a lot less crowded. He and Rafi were standing in the centre of the plaza, in front of a fountain shaped like a Roselia. "Great little plaza they have here."

"And the perfect place to start our journey," Rafi added.

Tristan nodded in agreement. The day after their battle with Infernotaur, he and Rafi had explained to the other Knights that they planned to start their Pokémon journey. Marianne and Electra had replied that they too were on their Pokémon adventures, but they agreed to accompany them to Santalune City to offer their advice. Quinn also joined them so he could be ready when Yvestros tried to attack again. Now the girls had gone to explore the town while Quinn had left to set up his camp.

At that moment, Marianne and Electra rejoined them. "Okay, we've asked around," Marianne said. "And the Gym Leader of this place, Viola, is currently out of town for a photo shoot. But she should be back tomorrow, you can have your battles then."

"Hey, cool hat, Electra," Rafi said.

"Thanks!" Electra was now wearing a navy blue fedora with a yellow flower pin on the side. "It was on sale at the Boutique. And it matches my outfit."

"Hey, guys!" Quinn came running up to them, followed by his Pokemon. "Sorry I was so late, I had to set up my tent on Route 3."

"Do you always sleep in a tent?" Tristan asked.

"I feel closer to nature if I'm camping," Quinn replied. "Lived nearly all my life in the forest of Eterna City. That's how I got to know these guys." He patted Leafeon on the head and let Roselia cuddle his arm. "They've been my friends since I was a child."

* * *

 _The moment he reached the forest, Quinn parked his bike next to a tree and set off into the woods. Every time he came to Eterna Forest, he always felt a surge of joy and excitement, knowing that his true friends were waiting for him there. But today something happened that he didn't expect at all._

 _Halfway to the meadow, he suddenly heard a loud yell from nearby. "You lost again? What sort of useless Pokémon are you?"_

 _Quinn peeked out through a bush and saw a man standing in the middle of the road, yelling at a small cowering Eevee. "Don't give me that cute look!" the man shouted. "Cuteness never wins Pokemon battles! Only toughness, which you clearly don't have!"_

 _So saying, he threw a Poke Ball against a rock, shattering it completely. "There! Let's see if your cuteness will help you in the wild. And don't try to follow me!" And he turned and marched down the road._

"Eevee! _" the little Pokémon called, running after its old owner._

 _The man whirled around with a face like thunder. "Are you dumb as well as adorable? I said, GET LOST!" With that, he grabbed a stone and threw it hard, striking the Eevee on its side and sending it tumbling back. Then he ran off out of the forest, leaving the Eevee whimpering in pain._

 _Seeing that whole incident made Quinn flare up with anger. He couldn't believe that anyone would hurt such an innocent Pokémon! He hadn't seen the battle the man had lost, but he felt certain that the Eevee had done its best. No Pokémon deserved such cruel punishment._

 _As soon as he was certain that the man was out of earshot, he emerged from the bushes and approached the Eevee slowly. "Hey," he called softly. "Are you okay?"_

 _Hearing his voice, the Eevee turned and tried to run, but the wound on its side made it fall to the ground again._

" _Don't move," Quinn called. "You're bleeding badly." He took off his shoe and sock. Then he bundled up the sock and pressed it gently against the Eevee's wound._

 _Just then he heard a rustling from the bushes and three small Pokémon emerged; a Budew, a Kricketot and a Buneary. Quinn recognised them as his close friends. "Hey friends, was I taking too long?"_

"Budew, dew! _" the Grass Type replied._

" _I'm sorry, but this Eevee was just wounded and abandoned by its owner," Quinn explained, making the other Pokémon gasp in shock. "Buneary, hold this sock in place. The rest of you, comfort Eevee. I'll give him some of my Oran Berryade."_

 _As the Pokemon did as they were told, Quinn took out his juice bottle, opened it and poured a small amount of blue juice into the lid, passing it to Eevee. "Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better."_

 _Lifting its head, Eevee cautiously sniffed the juice then gave it a little lick. Its face lit up with joy at the taste and it began to lap it up. When it was finished, Quinn topped it up. And so it went until Eevee was on his feet, his wound completely healed._

" _Good to see you standing again," Quinn smiled. "Listen, I'm sorry that your owner left you all alone, but you've got some friends in this forest who won't hurt you. Would you like to stay with us?"_

 _Eevee looked around at Buneary, Kricketot and Budew who nodded in agreement then it turned back and smiled. "_ Eevee!

" _Great!" Quinn chuckled, patting the Eevee's head. "Welcome to our friend group!"_

 _The other Pokemon gathered around Eevee and cuddled up to it, making Quinn laugh..._

* * *

" _Floeeettte!_ "

Quinn spun around at the faint cry. The wind was starting to pick up, making Electra hold onto her new hat. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Rafi asked.

"I didn't hear anything," Marianne added.

Quinn looked around quickly, trying to find the source of the call. Then he spotted a small yellow flower tumbling through the gust and his eyes widened. "Oh no! That's not good at all!"

"What's not good?" Tristan asked.

Following the flower's path, Quinn saw that it was heading towards the river. "Electra, I'm going to need your hat!"

"What?" Electra cried. "I just got this hat!"

"There's no time to argue. Just give it to me, please!"

With a sigh, Electra took off her hat and tossed it over. Quinn grabbed it and ran towards the river's edge. Pausing by the bank, he looked up and saw the flower getting closer and closer. Then at the last minute, he raised the hat up and jumped into the air, catching the flower before he fell backwards into the river, holding the hat just above the water.

"Quinn!" Tristan cried, running up to the river bank.

"Are you okay?" Marianne asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Quinn panted, getting out of the river, his clothes completely drenched. "I just managed to save her."

Tristan looked in and saw the flower inside. "You got soaked to save a flower?"

"Look closer," Quinn said.

It was then that Tristan saw a small white and green creature peeking out from underneath the flower. "Ohh," he breathed. "What is that?"

"It's a Floette," Electra replied. "One of the Fairy Type Pokémon of Kalos."

"The wind must have grabbed her from the flower fields and blew her into town," Quinn explained. "That's when I heard her shouting for help and acted quickly."

"Wow, you've got good ears," Rafi complimented. "None of us heard that cry for help."

Quinn carefully scooped up Floette and handed her the yellow flower. "Here you go. Take shelter from the wind next time." With that, he blew gently on the flower, sending Floette drifting away.

Leafeon and Roselia watched her go them went over to Quinn. " _Leaf-ee, leaf!_ " the Verdant Pokémon called.

"Alright, I'm coming," Quinn said, before turning to the others. "I better get back to shopping for supplies then I'll head back to Route 3."

"Can we meet you at your camp later?" Electra asked, placing her hat back on her head.

"I guess so," Quinn replied, turning to his Pokémon. "You guys okay with having some guests over?"

Both Pokémon responded with joyful cries and nods. " _Roselia!_ " " _Leafeon!_ "

"Then it's settled," Quinn smiled. "See you then." He set off towards the nearby Poké Mart.

"Alright," Tristan muttered, looking around the city. "Let's take in some of the sights and kill time until then."

* * *

"It is done, my Lord," Sabelteur called. "Behold, the Tree-Sapper!"

Yvestros looked over the monster that entered. Its main body was like a Trevenant, but it had the arms of a Tangrowth and its legs were made up of vine-like roots. Strange green fruits sprouted on the branches of its head.

"This new monster will easily drain the forest of all its life force, once he's stuck his roots deep under the ground," Sabelteur explained. "What's more, he can trap any living creature with his fruits and drain their energy in a matter of hours. And hopefully, he will stop any Knight of Order in the exact same way."

"Excellent," Yvestros crowed. "Go into the forest, Tree-Sapper. Suck that forest completely dry. Any Knights that happen to cross your path must be wiped out immediately!"

"Understood, my Lord," Tree-Sapper replied with a bow.

Yvestros raised his wings and sent him away.

"What exactly is stopping the Knights of Order from destroying Tree-Sapper in one blow?" Sharphound asked.

Sabelteur gave a wicked little grin. "Oh, let's just say that Tree-Sapper has a few extra tricks up his sleeve..."

* * *

" _Eight... nine... ten!" Quinn cried, opening his eyes. "Ready or not, here I come!"_

 _He looked around the meadow, seeing that his friends had disappeared. With a giggle, he stood up and set off into the forest. "Now, where could they have gone?"_

 _After a while, he stopped, hearing a small voice coming from inside a hollow log. Smiling cheekily, he knelt down next to one end, took a deep breath and shouted, "BOO!"_

"Bunear! _" Suddenly Buneary jumped right out the other side of the log._

" _Ha ha ha, found you!" Quinn called, running off._

 _He then heard a rustling noise in a nearby bush. Pushing the leaves aside, he spotted Budew hiding under the stem. "I found you!"_

 _As Budew pulled herself out, Quinn heard a xylophone-like ringing coming from the knot of a tree. He went over to it, reached inside and pulled out Kricketot. "Found you too!"_

 _He then looked around in concern. "Eevee? Eevee, where are you?"_

 _His friends ran up to him, looking worried. "_ Budew?Kricket?Buneary?

" _We'll find him, don't worry," Quinn replied. "Let's get going."_

 _For a few minutes, Quinn and his friends searched around the forest, looking for Eevee. But there was no sign of him anywhere._

" _Eevee!" Quinn called. "Eevee! Where did you go?"_

 _Suddenly he heard a soft whimpering coming from behind some bushes. Pushing them aside, he entered a small clearing where a large rock covered with moss lay in the centre. Then he spotted a bushy brown tail sticking from behind the rock. "Eevee, is that you?"_

 _Eevee peeked out from behind the rock and his ears pricked up when he saw Quinn. "_ Eevee, vee! _" he called as he ran over to him and jumped into his arms._

" _Poor little guy, you were scared on your own, weren't you?" Quinn murmured, feeling Eevee nuzzling his cheek. "Well, don't worry. You've got friends here, remember? And friends always come for each other."_

" _Quinn! Time to come home!"_

" _Oh, that's my mum," Quinn said, putting Eevee down. "I'll be back tomorrow, and for the rest of the summer."_

 _Budew, Kricketot and Buneary went over to Eevee and cuddled him close._

" _You gonna be okay with my friends, Eevee?"_

"Vee! _" cried Eevee._

" _Okay, see you tomorrow!" Quinn ran over to his bike and rode off for home._

* * *

Quinn let out a sigh and settled back against the tree by his tent. Leafeon and Roselia lay asleep next to him while Grovyle rested on the branch above him. He then looked up at the sky. The sun had just passed the midday point and it was almost time to prepare lunch.

"My friends should be coming soon," he said, getting to his feet. "I'd better get ready. Hey, Grovyle, wanna help get some wood for the fire?"

" _Grove-grovyle!_ " called the Wood Gecko Pokémon, jumping down from the branch.

"Great! Leafeon, Roselia, stay here and wait for the others. We'll be back soon." With that, he set off into the forest, Grovyle hopping along behind him.

Once they reached the forest, Quinn looked round him. Pansage and Panpour swung through the branches above him, Caterpie and Scatterbug crawled up and down the tree trunks. A wild Pikachu scampered out of the grass and ran into the bushes.

Quinn smiled as he gazed around. "Such a peaceful place. So full of life!"

"And that's exactly what my Lord requires!" came a deep wooden voice.

Quinn and Grovyle whirled around and saw a huge tree-like monster stomping into view, its vine arms and legs wriggling in anticipation. "Who are you? Another beast of Yvestros, perhaps?"

"Call me Tree-Sapper," the monster replied. "And this forest is the next target for Lord Yvestros."

"No way! I'm defending this forest from you!" Quinn jumped into a combat mode. "Grovyle, ready to help out?"

" _Grovyle!_ " the Grass Type replied, raising his arm blades.

"Brave talk, little human," Tree-Sapper scoffed. "But nothing can stand up to my power."

"Well then, let's even the odds a little bit." Quinn raised his Morpher and pushed the button. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

A tornado of leaves blew out of his Morpher and flew back into Quinn, forming his armor.

"Oh ho, a Knight of Order!" Tree-Sapper grunted. "Now things get interesting."

With that, he raised his arm and threw it forward, the vines extended out towards Quinn. At the last second, Quinn and Grovyle jumped aside and the vines crashed into the dirt. Grovyle jumped up into the trees and formed a glowing green ball in his hands which he threw at Tree-Sapper. The woody Poké-Mutant raised his other arm and blocked the Energy Ball. Quinn jumped in with a flying kick, but Tree-Sapper grabbed him and threw him aside.

"Fools!" Tree-Sapper called. "Your attacks are useless against me!"

Scowling behind the helmet, Quinn held out his hands. "Sceptile Leaf Dirks, engage!"

The daggers appeared in his hands and he charged forward. As Tree-Sapper swung out his arm, Quinn leapt over it and sliced it off with one swing. At the same time, Grovyle jumped out of the tree, his arm blades glowing white and forming blades which he used to cut off the other arm.

"Ha!" Quinn shouted as he and Grovyle landed together. "Can't do much without arms, can you?"

But Tree-Sapper didn't look at all worried, and seconds later, Quinn realised why. Faster than he could blink, vines were sprouting from the Poké-Mutant's stumps, reshaping themselves into new arms.

"Nice try, Hopeless Knight," Tree-Sapper retorted. "Now it's my turn!"

So saying, he raised his arm, the vines forming themselves into a club, and swung it round, bashing Quinn and Grovyle back. As Quinn hit a tree behind him, his armor flashed white and disappeared.

"One Knight against me? Such an easy win," Tree-Sapper chortled. "Now to finish you off. Leech Seed!" He pulled off two green fruits from the branches on his head and hurled them out, hitting Quinn and Grovyle.

Before Quinn could even move, the fruit split open and thick green vines grew out like tentacles, wrapping around Quinn and the tree. The next thing he knew, Quinn was crying out in pain as the vines began to glow red, feeling his strength fading rapidly. "What's... happening...?"

" _Grovyle!_ " cried his Pokémon, bound tightly by the vines that sapped his energy.

"Your life force is being slowly drained," Tree-Sapper explained. "Soon you and your Pokémon will be nothing but empty husks. And I'll do the same to every living in this forest!"

"No..." Quinn gasped. "You can't... do this...!"

"Whatever Yvestros orders, I must do. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to the centre of the forest and begin my task..." With that, Tree-Sapper turned and stomped into the forest, leaving Quinn and Grovyle bound and growing ever weaker...

* * *

Unaware yet of Quinn's predicament, Tristan, Rafi, Marianne and Electra made their way along Route 4, having spent the last hour exploring Santalune City.

"Look, there's the campsite!" Marianne called, pointing out Quinn's tent.

"And there's Leafeon and Roselia waiting for us," Tristan added.

Lucky bounded off Rafi's shoulder and scurried over to the dozing Pokémon. " _Minccino!_ "

Leafeon opened his eyes and looked over at the other Knights. " _Leafeon!_ " he called, getting to his feet.

"Hey buddy," Electra said, rubbing his head. "Is Quinn around here?"

Frowning, Leafeon looked around, trying to see Quinn. But there was no sign of him. " _Leaf-ee?_ "

"Well, hopefully, he'll be back soon," Rafi said. "I'm starving."

Suddenly they heard loud screams from down the road. Turning around, Tristan saw people running out of the forest, followed by dozens of wild Pokémon. "What's going on here?"

Marianne grabbed the arm of a Bug Catcher and spun him round. "Hey, what are you running from?"

"A giant tree is attacking the forest!" the Bug Catcher cried. "It's been capturing people and Pokémon and it's killing off the trees! Run while you still can!" With that, he hared off down the path.

"Giant tree?" Electra asked. "That doesn't sound good."

Just then, their Morphers began to beep as the communicators switched on. "Knights of Order, this is Gurkinn. Please respond."

Tristan activated the communicator, bringing it up to his face. "Tristan here. What's the sitch?"

"Lucario has sensed the aura of a Poké-Mutant attacking Santalune Forest," Gurkinn replied. "Hopefully you guys are in the same area too."

Marianne got on her communicator. "This Poké-Mutant, it wouldn't happen to be a giant tree, would it?"

"Yes, but this tree has some terrible powers. It's using a dark energy to drain the forest and its inhabitants of their life force."

"Oh no!" Rafi gasped.

"More worryingly, Quinn was in the same area just now, but I've been unable to contact him. We may have to assume the worst."

"Not a chance!" Tristan cried. "He could still be alive. We're gonna stop that monster and save the forest!"

"Good to hear," Gurkinn replied. "I'd love to come join you, but I can't leave the Tower now. Tristan, I'll allow you permission to use the Justice Blaster. It should have enough power even without my Claw Blades. Good luck, team! Gurkinn out."

Tristan looked around, making sure no one could see them change. Thankfully, all the people had already left. "Let's morph, guys!"

He, Rafi, Marianne and Electra pushed their buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The elements of Fire, Flying, Water and Electric burst out of their Morphers and crashed into them, forming their armor.

"Okay, guys," Tristan ordered. "Let's go get that tree!"

* * *

 _Two weeks had passed since Quinn had saved Eevee. The little Evolution Pokémon had now adapted to his life in the wild, aided by Quinn and his friends, and the five of them had spent a happy time playing and exploring the forest. But on this day, a terrible disaster was about to strike._

 _That morning, Quinn came bouncing into the kitchen to get his breakfast. His father had the TV on and as Quinn's mother handed him his cereal, a news report came on. "And in local news, poachers have been spotted last night, stealing Pokémon from Eterna Forest. It is unknown if the poachers were ex-members of the terrorist group, Team Galactic, or if they were freelance. But dozens of Pokémon have been taken from their homes..."_

 _Quinn spun around so fast he nearly fell out of his chair. "What?" He ran over to the TV just as it changed to show a reporter outside the forest. "A trainer out late last night spotted a van parked by the forest, before sighting the poachers coming out with cages filled with Pokémon. While he was unable to get details on their appearance..."_

 _Quinn didn't hear the rest of the story. He was already out the door and on his bike, riding towards the forest. As he arrived, he saw a thick cloud of smoke rising above the trees. "No, no, no!"_

 _Jumping off his bike, he ran into the forest, tears starting to form in his eyes. He reached the meadow, now a burnt patch of land, and searched frantically around. "Budew! Kricketot! Buneary! Eevee! Answer me!"_

"Budew, dew!

 _Hearing the faint call, Quinn turned and spotted the little Grass Pokémon peeking out from behind a tree. "Budew, thank goodness you're safe," he cried, picking her up. "Where are the others?"_

"Budew, _" she replied sadly, bowing her head._

" _We have to keep looking," Quinn decided. "They must be somewhere."_

 _But after a long search, they couldn't find any sign of Buneary and Kricketot. Thinking back, Quinn remembered that Eevee liked to hide behind the moss-covered rock. With that in mind, he set off in that direction._

 _Fortunately, the rock had been undamaged from the poachers' attack, but Eevee was nowhere to be seen. Quinn's legs felt weak and he fell to his knees, sobbing softly. "I'm so sorry, Budew. I should have been there for you."_

"Leafeon?

" _Huh?" Quinn looked up and saw a large fox-like Pokémon with leafy ears and tail emerging from the bushes. "Hello there. Have you seen my friends? I'm looking for an-"_

 _Suddenly, he remembered the last lesson he'd had at school before the holidays. The teacher had shown them a picture of two new Pokemon: Glaceon and Leafeon. She had explained that both Pokemon were the newest stages of evolution for one very unique Pokémon. As the memory ended, Quinn looked back at the Pokémon again. "Eevee? Is that you?"_

 _In response, the Leafeon stepped closer and nuzzled Quinn's face in the exact same way that Eevee had done when Quinn had found him hiding there two weeks ago._

" _It_ is _you," he breathed. "You hid from the poachers and evolved here, didn't you?"_

"Leaf-ee, _" the Pokemon replied._

 _Budew ran over and cuddled up to Leafeon's leg. Quinn grabbed hold of his friend's neck and sobbed into his fur. "I'm so sorry! I failed you all!"_

 _Leafeon just closed his eyes and let Quinn cry, letting out his fear and sense of failure..._

* * *

Quinn pulled and strained with what little strength he had left, but the vines held him very tight. By now, the tree he was tied to was already dead, its leaves now shriveled and black. Grovyle was also trying to escape, but to no avail as well.

"I'm sorry, buddy," Quinn muttered, tears forming in his eyes. "I failed to save this place. It's just like when I lost my friends so long ago. Some Knight I turned out to be..."

" _Floette!_ "

Quinn looked up at that voice and saw a familiar small Pokémon floating towards him on a yellow flower. "Floette? Is that you?"

" _Floette!_ " the Fairy Pokémon replied.

"This is your home... isn't it?" Quinn winced, feeling his strength dying away. "I tried to... help out, but... that monster was too strong... I don't even have the will... to fight anymore... I've failed you... I'm sorry..."

" _Grove... vyle,_ " said his partner sadly.

Upon hearing this, Floette's face became stern and she twirled around on the spot, sending a wave of glowing leaves at Quinn and Grovyle. To their surprise, the leaves cut right through the vines, freeing them. Quinn slumped to the ground, unable to move. Then Floette lowered her flower and sent out a gentle scent that swept over their bodies. Taking a breath of it, Quinn suddenly felt his strength returning and he jumped to his feet. "Aromatherapy!" he realized. "And your Magical Leaf freed us! Thanks, Floette!"

" _Grovyle!_ " said Grovyle, equally energised.

The Fairy Pokémon floated up to Quinn and patted his cheek.

"Okay, guess we're even," Quinn chuckled. Then he noticed his communicator beeping. "Oh, my friends are calling me." He switched it on. "Hello, this is Quinn."

"Oh, thank Arceus you're okay!" Gurkinn replied. "What happened out there?"

"I got caught in Tree-Sapper's attack," Quinn explained. "You have to call the others."

"I've already done it. They should be fighting that monster by now."

"What? Tree-Sapper is a lot stronger than the last monster we fought. They won't stand a chance!"

"Then you'd better hurry. They can't form the Justice Blaster without you. Gurkinn out."

Quinn turned to the Pokémon. "Grovyle, take Floette and get as many Pokémon as you can out of the forest."

" _Grove, grovyle,_ " Grovyle replied.

Floette landed on his head leaf and clung on tight. Grovyle then jumped into the tree and set off into the forest.

Quinn then ran the other direction, reaching for his Morpher. "Hang on, guys. I'm on my way!"

* * *

Tree-Sapper stood in the middle of a clearing, letting his vine-like roots sink into the ground. At his feet were the trapped bodies of people and Pokémon who'd been unable to escape fast enough. Some of them were already drained of their life force. A few of the trees were also dying slowly.

"So much life in this forest," Tree-Sapper groaned with pleasure. "My Lord is going to be so pleased with me."

"Hate to break it to you, but the buffet is now closed!" Tristan yelled.

Tree-Sapper turned round and saw the four Knights standing by the edge of the woods, weapons bared. "Well, well. Seems like the Grass Knight's friends have come to join the fun!"

"Come on, guys!" Marianne called. "Let's chop this tree down!"

"Leech Seed!" Tree-Sapper grabbed some fruits from his branches and threw them at the Knights.

Rafi raised his bow and fired four arrows in quick succession, hitting the fruits and blowing them up in a spurt of juice.

Tristan charged in, sword raised over his head, and lopped off Tree-Sapper's arm. "Got him!"

"Do you think so?" Tree-Sapper gloated, as his arm was reformed with some new vines.

"Uh oh," Electra gasped.

Laughing wickedly, Tree-Sapper stretched out his arm and grabbed Rafi, Marianne and Electra, pulling them close to his face.

"Let them go!" Tristan yelled.

"Come any closer, and I'll drain their life force!" Tree-Sapper yelled. "Surrender now. You've got no other choice!"

"Actually, he doesn't have to choose!" Suddenly Quinn burst out of the forest and swung his Leaf Dirks, cutting through Tree-Sapper's arm and freeing the other Knights. Then he did the same to the Poké-Mutant's roots.

"Quinn! You're okay!" Electra cried.

"Sorry I was late, I got a bit tied up, literally," Quinn replied.

"Well, now that you're here, we can take this guy out," Tristan said. "Form the Justice Blaster!"

"Water Cannon!" Marianne held her weapon out.

"Feather Bow!" Rafi stuck his weapon underneath the Blaster.

"Leaf Dirks!" Quinn stuck his daggers on either side of the barrel.

"Thunder Hammer!" Electra stuck her weapon at the back.

"Fire Sword!" Tristan put his sword on top of the Blaster. The tip of the sword opened up, as did Electra's hammer and Quinn's daggers, forming extra barrels.

"Justice Blaster, active!" Tristan cried, holding up the weapon as the others ran behind him.

Tree-Sapper raised his arms up in front of his face.

"Fire!" Tristan yelled, pulling the trigger.

The energy blast shot out and struck Tree-Sapper dead on in a flash of light. But when the light faded, Tree-Sapper was still standing.

"What?" Tristan gasped. "How did he survive?"

"My vines are indestructible," Tree-Sapper laughed. "You'll never destroy me that easily."

" _Grovyle!_ " Just then, Grovyle leapt down from a tree, his arm blades glowing once more, and sliced off both arms in one swing.

"ARRRGGGH!" Tree-Sapper cried out.

"Quickly, fire another shot before his arms grow back!" Quinn called.

"Right," Tristan replied. "Fire two!"

This time, the blast hit Tree-Sapper right in his face and he cried out in pain before falling over backwards and exploding.

"We got him now!" Electra cried.

"Now let's free these people and the Pokémon," Marianne said.

Within minutes, the surviving humans and Pokémon were free and they quickly ran out of the forest. Before the Knights could follow, Mothitelle reappeared again.

"You again!" Quinn snapped, not noticing Tristan freezing up behind him. "What do you want?"

"I've come for the life force that Tree-Sapper so graciously got for us." Mothitelle flew down and picked up a glowing green fruit. "Oh, and as a little departing gift... POWER SPORE!"

She flapped her wings hard and sent her powder over Tree-Sapper who laughed as he grew and grew, soon towering over the forest.

"Here we go again," Marianne sighed as Mothitelle disappeared.

Rafi then noticed Tristan's rigid stance. "Hey, you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," Tristan replied, shaking his head. He quickly pressed a button on his Morpher. "Release the PokéZords!"

From deep beneath the Tower of Mastery, the PokéZords activated and began to move. Seeing them switch on, Gurkinn activated the Transportation Door, making it wide enough for them to pass through to the Knights' location.

"I'm glad Gurkinn added that feature," Marianne noted. "It would be quite awkward for them to be seen marching across the land."

"Everyone aboard!" Tristan shouted, leading the charge towards the Zords. Each Zord shot a beam of light over the Knights, transporting them into their cockpits.

"Alright, Tristan, you know the drill by now," Gurkinn called over the communicator.

Tristan slammed his hand on the button, as did the other Knights. "Megazord of Justice transformation, activate!"

Each PokéZord flashed white as the command was issued. First, the Blaziken Zord jumped into the air, its arms folding back into its body. At the same time, the Blastoise Zord withdrew its head and limbs into its shell, which opened up on the front and fused over the Blaziken Zord's body, creating the main torso.

Next, the Sceptile and Ampharos Zords lay down on their stomachs and folded in their limbs and tails as they straightened up, the heads resting on their chests. The bottom half joined onto the main torso, forming the legs.

Then, the Pidgeot Zord took to the air, its head and tail folding into its body which then split in half. Each half then joined to either side of the torso upside down, so that the legs formed the arms, while the wings folded over the front of the torso. The completed MegaZord landed on the ground, the Blaziken's beak opening up to reveal a more humanoid face.

"Megazord of Justice, ready!" the Knights yelled in the main cockpit as the robot raised its arms.

"Don't think that giant robot can stop me," Tree-Sapper yelled. "I can drain its energy just as quickly! LEECH SEED!" With that, he grabbed a fruit and flung it at the Megazord, striking its chest. Then thick vines burst out and wrapped itself around the robot, flashing bright red.

Inside the cockpit, the whole console flashed a warning.

"We're losing power!" Electra cried.

"All attacks disabled!" Rafi shouted, wriggling his joystick. "I'm not getting any movement!"

"Knights, come in!" Gurkinn called. "There's one chance to get out. Tristan, you need to channel the Blaziken Zord's Fire attacks into the rest of the Megazord. There's a small switch next to your joystick. Flip it and then push the stick."

Tristan quickly flicked the switch and then pushed his stick out. "Flare Blitz!"

At once, the Megazord was covered in a cloak of flames which quickly burned away the Leech Seed. Then it charged forward, smashing into Tree-Sapper and burning him badly.

"Not enough power for other attacks," Marianne announced. "Let's finish this quick!"

"Mega Sword, engage!" Tristan yelled.

The giant sword appeared in the Megazord's hands.

"Let's turn this tree into firewood!" Tristan declared, pushing his stick out again. "Order Slash!"

The sword began to glow and the Megazord charged again, swinging it round. Tree-Sapper cried out in agony as the sword cut right through him.

"TIMMMMBERRRR!" Quinn yelled just before the Poké-Mutant exploded.

"You had to, didn't you?" Electra chuckled.

"What can I say, the joke was there," Quinn replied with a shrug.

* * *

"Damn it all!" Yvestros yelled. "Those Knights of Order are always where we don't need them!"

"It doesn't matter, my Lord," Mothitelle reassured him. "We were still able to recover the life force, weren't we?"

"Yes," Sabelteur agreed. "And Tree-Sapper got plenty of life force, enough to create a vast army of Poke-Mutants!"

Yvestros put his fingers together and laughed menacingly. "Excellent..."

* * *

Quinn stood in the clearing in Santalune Forest, looking at the damage caused by Tree-Sapper, and he sighed.

Tristan came up behind him. "Hey, there you are. Thought I'd find you here."

"Hmm," Quinn murmured.

"Man, we may have stopped Tree-Sapper," Tristan sighed. "But we weren't able to save the whole forest. Not to mention all the people and Pokémon who died today."

Quinn turned to look at him. "Can I tell you something, Tristan? Something I haven't told anyone else yet?"

"Sure," Tristan nodded.

"When I was six years old, I had many Pokémon friends in Eterna Forest. Then one night, poachers invaded the forest and kidnapped a number of Pokémon. Some of them were my friends. When I came back the next day, I felt so horrible that couldn't save them. But two of my friends were able to escape; they became Roselia and Leafeon, and they've been with me ever since." Quinn turned back to the forest. "That was when I decided to try and protect other Pokémon from incidents like that day."

"Whoa," Tristan breathed.

"And what I learned in my travels as a Pokémon Ranger, is that there will be times where I can't save everybody. But I must be thankful for the ones that I did, because their lives still matter."

As if on cue, Floette floated up and landed on his shoulder, patting his cheek. " _Floette!_ "

"Looks like you just made another new friend," Tristan chuckled.

Quinn smiled and picked up Floette, holding up to his face. "Is that true? Do you want to come with me?"

The Fairy Pokémon smiled and nodded.

"Welcome to the team then," Quinn replied, holding out his finger.

Floette smiled and shook it in her hand.

"Come on, Quinn," Tristan said. "Let's head back to camp. We've decided to stay with you instead of at the Pokémon Center. This forest will need someone to guard it against future Poké-Mutants, and who better than us?"

Quinn smiled and followed him out of the forest without looking back once.

* * *

 **And another chapter done! This one was a bit Quinn-centered because when I thought up this monster, I remembered the profile on Quinn and thought "This is a good way to tell his story." I hope the flashbacks and monologue told it well.**

 **Once again, anyone with ideas for monsters please tell me in the reviews or send me a PM. I'll try my best to include as many as I can.**

 **See you next time.**


	6. Tristan Bugs Out

_Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _The Knights of Order arrived at Santalune City, where Tristan and Rafi are eager to face the Gym Leader. But their plans are foiled first by the Gym Leader's absence and secondly by the appearance of a new monster, Tree-Sapper, who was intent on draining Santalune Forest of its life force. When Quinn and his Grovyle tried to stop Tree-Sapper, he trapped them with his Leech Seed, but thanks to a Floette that Quinn had saved from drowning, he was able to escape and help the other Knights destroy Tree-Sapper, but not before he was able to gain some life force for Yvestros..._

* * *

Chapter 5: Tristan Bugs Out

The sun was rising over Route 3, warming up the land around it. A thin cloud of mist rose out of the little river, drops of dew sparkled like jewels on the grass, and a small flock of Fletchling flew overhead, chirping merrily away. All was peaceful in the Knights' campsite, but not for long.

"AAAAHHHHHHH!"

Suddenly, Tristan burst out of his tent, screaming in terror as he ran behind a tree. His scream was so loud that the other Knights came out too, ready for action.

"What's going on?" Rafi asked.

"Is there another monster?" Electra added, her Ampharos at her side.

Tristan pointed a shaky finger at his tent, stammering so much that his words didn't come out clearly at first. "T-T-T-There's... a b-b-b-b-b-b-bu-bu-bu-bu..."

"Use your words, Tristan," Marianne demanded. "Why did you scream like that?"

Eventually, Tristan mustered up his courage to speak. "There's a b-b-BUG in my tent!"

The others sweat-dropped in disbelief. "That's the big emergency?" Electra cried out.

"H-he was r-r-right in f-front of my f-face," Tristan stammered. "S-s-staring at me with its big black eyes."

"Alright, let me take a look," Quinn sighed, going up to Tristan's tent. Opening the flap, he peered in. "Is this guy for real?" He then came back, holding the buggy culprit in his hand. "Is this your terrible creature?"

"AAAHHH! GET IT AWAY!" Tristan yelled, ducking back behind the tree.

"Tristan, it's just a little Caterpie," Quinn reassured. "He must have crawled into your tent during the night, looking for warmth."

"I DON'T CARE! JUST TAKE IT AWAY FROM HERE!"

Rolling his eyes, Quinn walked over to the edge of the camp and placed Caterpie on the ground. "Now you go back to the forest, little guy. And please don't scare my friend like that again."

The Caterpie just cocked its head to one side then it turned and crawled away.

Quinn then returned to the campsite. "You can come out now, fearless leader. The terrible monster's gone."

Tristan gave out a huge sigh of relief. "See? I told you that thing was scary. Even you thought it was a monster."

"I was being sarcastic," Quinn stated.

Rafi, Marianne and Electra swapped puzzled looks, thinking the same thought. How could someone who speaks so calmly and with a warm smile sound so sarcastic?

"Anyway, better get some breakfast going," Quinn continued. "You and Rafi will need your strength to face your first Gym Leader."

"Alright!" Tristan cried, suddenly his old self again. "I can test out the Fletchling I caught the other day."

"I'm ready too!" Rafi added as Lucky jumped onto his shoulders. "First Gym Badge, you're as good as won!"

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky cheered, throwing up her paw.

* * *

On a special screen in his lair, Yvestros watched two young women approaching the Santalune City Gym. A Vivillion fluttered over their heads.

"Thanks for accompanying me to the shoot, Alexa," said the younger blonde woman. "It really means a lot to me."

"No prob, little sis," chuckled the older brunette. "Shame about what happened in the forest, though. Good thing those Poké Rangers were able to save it."

Yvestros clenched his fist at the mention of the Knights.

"Anyway, I'd better get back to work," the blonde said. "Hope the line didn't get too long while we were gone."

"Okay!" Alexa beamed, setting off down the path. "Catch ya later, Viola."

"See you!" Viola called. "Come on, Vivillion. It's time to wait for our first opponent of the day. Hope we don't bug them too much!"

As she entered the Gym, a sinister smile crossed Yvestros' beak-like face. "That Gym Leader shall be a perfect target for my conquest. Sabelteur!"

"You hollered, my Lord?" Sabelteur asked, running into the room.

"I need a monster on the double!"

"What particular parts do you require for this monster, my Lord?"

"Find me two Bug Types, one that flies and one that shoots sticky webs." As Sabelteur set off to his task, Yvestros rubbed his hands together in glee. "And once this Leader has been taken, all will see my greatness!"

* * *

"There it is!" Marianne cried, pointing ahead. "The Santalune Gym!"

Tristan and Rafi stared at the Gym with eager eyes. At last, their first challenge awaited them!

"Let's get inside and register our names," Rafi said, running ahead. "I wanna get my first Badge!"

"Not if I get there first," Tristan called, chasing after him.

Marianne, Quinn and Electra hurried after him. "So who is the first Gym Leader?" Quinn asked.

"Her name's Viola," Electra explained. "She's one of the best photographers in Kalos, as well as a highly trained Gym Leader. When she's not getting pictures to post on her Gym walls, she's beating back her opponents with her Bug Pokémon."

Suddenly Tristan screeched to a halt and Marianne almost bumped into his back. "B-Bug Pokémon?" he stuttered, turning to face Electra with a fixed expression. "You didn't say that she had B-Bug Pokémon!"

"You never asked!" Electra countered. "I didn't want to say anything since I discovered that you're terrified of them."

"And you expected me to face her in battle?!" Tristan shouted.

"She's the first Gym Leader, so yes, you have to face her!" Electra snapped.

"But why B-Bug Pokémon? Doesn't she have any other Pokemon that I could fight?"

"Listen, buster," Marianne yelled. "There's no way you're chickening out of this battle. If you want to get any badges at all, you have to swallow that fear and get in there!" So saying, she went behind Tristan and started to push him towards the Gym.

"H-Hey, stop!" Tristan cried. "D-Don't make me go in there!"

"I'm doing this for your own good, you know!" Marianne grunted.

But just when they were ten feet from the entrance, Tristan turned quickly, making Marianne fall to the ground, and ran back to town. "I'm not going in there!" he shouted. "You can't make me!"

Quinn and Electra watched him disappear then turned to glare at Marianne. "Well, that failed miserably," Electra scoffed.

"Why are you cross with me?" Marianne asked. "Shouldn't you have helped me too?"

"Forcing someone to do something they don't like is no way to fix their fear," Quinn replied. "You have to take it in small steps, help them come to terms with it. Not push their fear right into their face, hoping they get over it quickly."

"Well, I'm still going in even if Tristan isn't," Rafi said, stepping through the doors. "Wish me luck, guys."

"Meanwhile, Quinn and I are gonna look for Tristan," Electra decided. "You can come if you want, Marianne, but don't get too pushy."

"Um, I'm actually gonna stay and cheer for Rafi," Marianne muttered guiltily. "I'll see you later."

* * *

Quinn and Electra wandered around the town, searching for Tristan, but with little success.

"Where could he have run off to?" Electra said.

Then they heard a loud rattling in an alley behind the cafe. Quinn turned and saw a dumpster in the corner. He walked over to it and rapped on its side. "Tristan, are you in there?"

"No, go away!" Tristan's voice shouted from inside.

Electra grabbed the lid with both hands and threw it up, gagging at the overwhelming stench. "Blech!" she coughed. "Smells like a Muk soaked in Skuntank spray!"

"That's actually the smell of my shame," Tristan sighed, rising out of the garbage. "I guess I kind of freaked out back there, didn't I?"

"Little bit, yeah," Electra agreed.

"Tristan, we just want to talk with you," Quinn said, holding out his hand. "So come on out and we'll sort things out for you."

Tristan took his hand, allowing Quinn to pull him out. "Thanks, man."

"So how did you get this fear of Bug Types?" Electra asked.

Tristan sighed and sat down on the pavement. "I guess I could tell you. Once when I was little, my parents took me on a trip to Fortee City."

"I know that place," Quinn said. "That's where the people live in tree houses up above the forest. I visited it on one of my travels; it's my favourite city in Hoenn."

"Yeah, my mum had friends in Fortree," Tristan went on. "Anyway, while my parents were talking to them, I went strolling along one of the wooden bridges. Suddenly the bridge just shook in the wind and knocked me off. I fell right into the bushes and landed upon a nest of Nincada."

"Oh my goodness," Electra gasped. "Were you okay?"

"Luckily I wasn't too badly hurt." A look of fear crossed Tristan's face. "But unluckily, I happened to have fallen in right as the Nincada were beginning their split evolution."

"Split evolution?" Electra asked.

"I remember my Academy instructor telling me about that," Quinn replied. "When Nincada reach a certain level, they evolve into two different forms at the same time. One form is Ninjask, the super-fast Pokémon, and the other is Shedinja, the form that represents the old skin of Nincada."

"When the Nincada evolved, I heard this terrible buzzing cry," Tristan muttered, tears welling up in his eyes. "As the Ninjask flew up, the Shedinja fell onto me, staring at me with their emotionless eyes. And if that wasn't bad enough, some of the Nincada crawled onto me, scratching me with their little legs. I was so terrified that I screamed out. Eventually, Mom and Dad found me and pulled me out, but I never forgot that day."

"Hang on, I just remembered," Electra realized. "Whenever Mothitelle showed up to revive the monsters, you always froze up. But why are you scared of other Bugs if it was just an incident with Nincada and their evolutions?"

"Because a lot of them reminded me of that time," Tristan replied. "Every time I hear a Bug Type using Bug Buzz, I remember Ninjask's awful cries. Every time a smaller Bug crawls on me, I think it's Nincada scratching me. And when I opened my eyes that morning and saw Caterpie staring at me, it was like looking into the dead eyes of Shedinja. Everything about Bug Types just reminds me of that horrible experience!"

Quinn sat down next to Tristan and patted his shoulder. "Well, Tristan, thanks for telling us that. You were very brave, reliving that moment."

"I know you're scared and it's okay to be sometimes," Electra said. "But those Bug Pokémon, they're nothing compared to Yvestros' monsters. Remember how scared we were when the KrokoViles first attacked Lumiose?"

"And yet we were still able to fight them," Tristan pointed out.

"So you should do the same for those Bugs," Quinn replied. "Don't show them that you're scared and you can beat them!"

Tristan wiped the tears from his eyes and stood up. "You're right, guys. I shouldn't let my fear of Bugs stop me from getting that first Badge. I'm going in there and I'm facing Viola!"

"That's the spirit!" Electra cheered. "Now let's get back to the Gym!"

* * *

"Presenting my newest monster... Galvajask!" Sabelteur said.

An upright Galvantula monster stepped into the room. It walked on two yellow legs and the second pair was folded over its waist. It also had the head of a Ninjask, as well as the front legs and wings.

"This monster will trap his victims with his sticky electrified silk," Sabelteur went on. "And I've boosted the strength of his Unnerve ability so that he will paralyse anyone who hears his cry."

Sharphound flinched as the monster let out a screech. "Then why aren't we being affected by it?"

"Maybe it's because we're Poké-Mutants like him," Mothitelle replied. "No monsters have ever affected us with their powers."

"You and Mothitelle shall go to the Santalune Gym and capture the Gym Leader in your web," Yvestros ordered. "I will send out some KrokoViles to distract the rest of the city. Once the Gym has been overtaken, we shall easily take the Gym Leader's life force to strengthen our armies."

"At once, my Lord," Mothitelle said.

Yvestros sent them away with a flap of his wings.

* * *

Marianne sat in the stands of the Gym, watching Rafi battling Viola. His Chespin, Spiky, was able to hold his own against Viola's Surskit, but Vivillion had easily beaten him. Now Rafi had sent out Orville to face it.

However, while Marianne's eyes were focused on the battle, her mind was elsewhere. She was still thinking about Tristan and how she'd tried to force him into the Gym. Quinn's words were still ringing in her ears. _"Forcing someone to do something they don't like is no way to fix their fear."_

"I guess I did come out a bit too strong for Tristan," Marianne thought out loud. "But I didn't want him to give up his dream just because he's scared." She shook her head. "Real smooth, Marianne Brooke. Real smooth."

"Orville, Quick Attack!" Rafi yelled, breaking Marianne's thoughts.

She watched as Orville swooped past Vivillion, dodging its attack. Then he turned in midair and crashed into its back, sending it to the ground and knocking it out.

"Vivillion is unable to battle!" the judge announced. "The winner of this match is Raphael O'Donovan!"

"Yes, we did it, Orville!" Rafi cheered.

" _Pidgey!_ " Orville cried, perching on his arm.

Viola recalled her Vivillion and approached Rafi. "Well done, young man. That was quite a good battle and you've trained your Pokémon well. You've definitely earned this Bug Badge."

Rafi could barely contain his excitement as he received his badge. "Oh yeah!" he yelled. "Check it out, Marianne! I won my first badge!"

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky cheered.

Marianne came out of the stands to join him. "Congratulations, Rafi. I'm proud of you."

Just then, they heard a loud commotion behind the main doors; screams that were abruptly silenced and heavy footsteps.

"What's going on out there?" Viola asked.

In response, the doors were thrown open and Mothitelle breezed into the room. "Greetings, Gym Leader of Santalune! I have come with a proposition for you."

"Mothitelle!" Marianne gasped, silently so that Viola wouldn't get suspicious. "What is she doing here?"

"I don't know who you are," Viola said. "But I won't tolerate any strange bug-like creatures barging into the Gym like this!"

"My dear Viola, I didn't mean to intrude," Mothitelle replied, fluttering over the arena. "Please hear me out before you brush me aside. You see, my master and the ruler of Kalos, Yvestros, asks only for your life force to help him conquer the world. If you surrender peacefully, then the rest of the city won't have to suffer."

"My life force?" Viola cried. "Then the answer is a definite no."

"Yeah, get out of here!" Rafi shouted as he, Lucky, Orville, and Marianne stood in front of her. "Don't think that she's undefended!"

"And don't you think that I came on my own," Mothitelle retorted. "Oh, Galvajask!"

With a shrieking cry, a Galvantula with a Ninjask head and wings flew into the room. "What is your bidding, my lady?"

"Ugh," Viola cried, recoiling in disgust. "Not another one!"

Rafi turned to Marianne. "What do we do now?"

Marianne looked at Viola. "I know Gurkinn said that we shouldn't reveal ourselves to anyone, but we don't have much of a choice."

"What are you guys talking about?" Viola asked.

Marianne swapped a look with Rafi then turned back to Viola. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

Rafi and Marianne lifted their Morphers and pressed their buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The elements of Flying and Water shot out of their Morphers and crashed into them, forming their respective armors.

Viola gasped in amazement. "You're two of the Poké Rangers that saved the forest yesterday!"

"Our fame precedes us," Rafi replied. "Now let's flatten those bugs!"

Mothitelle swooped down towards the Knights, her eyes glowing. "Psybeam!"

A blast of rainbow light shot out of her eyes, striking Rafi in the chest and pushing him back. Orville flew in and delivered a hard peck into Mothitelle's chest. With a scowl, she swept out her arm, knocking Orville down. Lucky jumped off Rafi's helmet and slapped Mothitelle with her tail, before landing in Rafi's arms.

Galvajask landed in front of Marianne and raised his front legs. "Thunder Swipes!"

Electricity crackled on his claws as he lashed out. Marianne blocked the attack, only to cry out in pain as the electricity coursed through her body. She fell to the ground, her armor sparking madly.

"Marianne!" Rafi and Viola gasped.

"That'll teach you to tangle with an Electric type, Water Knight," Mothitelle gloated.

"You'll pay for that!" Rafi yelled, raising his fists and Lucky did the same.

"Brave words," Galvajask scoffed. "But I'll soon fix that. Unnerving Screech!"

He flew up and let out an ear-piercing cry that drove Rafi and Viola to their knees, covering their ears. Lucky and Orville recoiled in pain. Marianne struggled to move, but she was still weakened from the electric attack.

"Now Galvajask, ensnare them in your Electroweb!" Mothitelle commanded.

Galvajask floated down and spat out strands of thick sticky silk all over the Gym, wrapping up Rafi, Marianne, Viola, Lucky and Orville in a thick web. As Rafi started to struggle, he was zapped by an electric charge. "Ow!"

Lucky and Orville also tried to escape, only to get zapped too.

"We're trapped!" Viola gasped.

Marianne just groaned in pain.

"And there you will stay until our Lord drains your life force," Mothitelle chuckled.

* * *

Tristan, Quinn, and Electra stepped out of the alley, only to find the streets being attacked by KrokoViles.

"Oh no, not again!" Electra sighed.

"So soon after the last one too," Quinn agreed.

"Back to the alley!" Tristan yelled. "We can morph without being seen there."

Once they were out of view, Tristan, Quinn, and Electra raised their Morphers and pressed their buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The elements of Fire, Grass, and Electric erupted out of their respective Morphers and crashed onto their bodies, forming their armor.

"Let's go get 'em!" Tristan cried, as they ran out of the alley.

The KrokoViles spotted the Knights and charged at them, jaws agape and claws raised. Quinn dodged one KrokoVile's jaws and grabbed it by its tail, flinging it against the side of a building.

Electra ducked another KrokoVile's claws and swung her leg out, kicking the monster's feet out and sending him crashing to the floor. As a third KrokoVile tried to pounce on her, she punched it on the snout and threw onto its friend.

Tristan grabbed a KrokoVile's hands and they both fell back against one of the cafe's tables. Thinking fast, Tristan snatched up a glass bottle and smashed it on the KrokoVile's head, before kicking it away and finishing it off with a punch.

"Phew, that was close," Electra sighed.

"Awesome!" came a new voice from inside the cafe.

Tristan, Quinn and Electra turned and saw a young brown-haired girl running out of the cafe, holding a camera to her eye. "Such intense action shots. Exactly what I hoped the Poké Rangers would have been like."

"Uh, you've heard of us?" Tristan asked.

"Who hasn't?" the girl cried. "Everyone in Santalune has been talking about how you saved the forest from that giant tree monster."

Quinn swapped a look with Electra. "Uh, listen, Miss..."

"Alexa," the girl replied.

"Miss Alexa," Quinn continued. "While we do appreciate the good publicity, we still need to find out why the KrokoViles have invaded your city."

"I'll check with our, uh, supervisor." Tristan raised his Morpher and switched on the communicator. "Gurkinn, this is Tristan. We've had an invasion of KrokoViles in Santalune."

"Yes, I picked up the activity on my scanners," Gurkinn replied. "But Lucario has sensed something even worse. His aura has picked up Mothitelle and another monster at the Santalune Gym. I fear the KrokoViles were just a distraction."

"The Gym?" Tristan gasped. "Rafi and Marianne are at the Gym! They need our help."

"Then you'd better get there fast! Gurkinn out."

Tristan turned to Quinn, Electra and Alexa. "We have to get the Gym now! It's being attacked by another monster!"

"Oh no!" Alexa cried in fear. "My little sister is in there!"

"And so are Raf- uh, I mean our fellow Knights," Electra added, quickly stopping herself from revealing their friends' identities. "We mustn't waste any time!"

"Don't worry, Alexa, we'll help Viola," Quinn reassured her. "Just stay here and help out anyone who's been hurt."

"You got it, Rangers," Alexa replied, running down the street. "Good luck, guys!"

"Come on, let's get to the Gym!" Tristan cried, as he, Quinn and Electra ran the other way.

* * *

Despite the electric current in the web, Rafi and Viola did their best to pull themselves free. Lucky tried to bite through the silk while Orville pecked at it with his beak. Marianne was still motionless, weakened from Galvajask's claws.

"I do admire your determination to escape," Mothitelle chuckled. "But I'm afraid that it would do you no good."

"You won't get away with this, Mothitelle!" Rafi yelled.

"She already has, little Knight," Galvajask retorted. "Once the web has completely stunned you, it will be easy for our master to drain you completely."

"And why stop at just one Gym?" Mothitelle added. "After Viola, we'll send Galvajask to every Gym in Kalos, sucking all the Gym Leaders' life force. Without the Gym Leaders, the region of Kalos will submit to our power!"

"Not while we're here!" Quinn's voice rang out.

Rafi and Viola turned their heads and saw the other Knights standing in the doorway.

"Guys!" Rafi shouted. "You came!"

Mothitelle whirled around angrily. "So, you've managed to get past the KrokoViles? No matter, you'll still die at the hands of our monster."

With that, Galvajask took to the air, hissing menacingly.

Tristan's face froze in horror behind the helmet as he saw the monster. "Ninjask? W-Why did it have to be part Ninjask?"

"So the Fire Knight is afraid of a little old bug?" Mothitelle gloated. "Well, how would you fare against two bugs?" With that, she flew up next to Galvajask.

"Tristan, I know you're scared," Quinn hissed. "But right now, the main thing we need to focus on is saving our friends. Keep your mind on that thought!"

"Y-You got it," Tristan stuttered nervously. "Let's g-get them!"

Quinn jumped into the air and grabbed onto Mothitelle's leg, pulling her to the ground. She got up with an angry look. "Psyshock!"

She raised her hand and fired a wave of energy. Quinn ducked aside and spun into a roundhouse kick, striking Mothitelle in the chest and driving her back.

Galvajask focused his attack on Electra, flying down in front of her. "Double Team!"

In a flash, Electra was surrounded by a dozen copies of Galvajask. Scowling, she held out her hands. "Thunder Hammer, engage!"

As the weapon appeared, she swung it around in a circle, swiping at the clones. One by one, each clone disappeared as the hammer struck it until at last, she came into contact with the real Galvajask who stumbled to the side. "Thunder Swipes!"

His claws were covered with electricity and he swung them down. Electra blocked it with her hammer and felt the lightning surge through her, but she didn't show any sign of being hurt. "That's not gonna affect me! I'm the Electric Knight." She then raised her leg and kicked him in the stomach, driving him back.

Tristan meanwhile ran over to Rafi, Marianne and Viola, his Fire Sword in his hands. Swinging it down, he easily cut through the sticky strands that held them. As Rafi and Viola pulled themselves free, Marianne finally stirred, shaking her head. "Oh, what happened? What did I miss?"

"We were trapped in Galvajask's web," Viola explained. "But your friend here cut us free."

"Tristan?" Marianne asked, getting to her feet. "You actually came!"

"Quinn and Electra were able to talk some sense into me," Tristan explained. "And while I'm still a bit afraid of bugs, that won't stop me from taking on the Pokémon League!"

"Yeah, can we discuss this after we've gotten the bugs out of the Gym?" Rafi suggested.

"Good idea," Tristan replied. "Let's go help the others."

Rafi and Marianne summoned their weapons and ran after Tristan. "Lucky, Orville, stay with Viola," Rafi commanded.

Mothitelle quickly flew out of Quinn's reach. "Galvajask, hit them with another Unnerving Screech!"

"At once, my Lady!" Galvajask flew into the air and let out another painful screech. The Knights instantly fell to the ground, their hands covering the sides of their helmets.

"Arrggh!" Quinn yelled. "That sounds worse than nails scraping on a chalkboard!"

"What?" Marianne cried. "I can't hear you over that horrible noise!"

Tristan had curled up on the floor, shaking in uncontrollable terror. "Stop it," he whimpered in a voice like a child. "Stop the screaming... Dear Arceus, STOP THE SCREAMING!"

"What's wrong with him?" Rafi cried as the screeching stopped.

"He's regressing back to when he first got his fear," Electra realised. "Galvajask's cry has overwhelmed his senses!"

"Tristan!" Quinn called, crawling over to his friend and shaking him. "Tristan, it's stopped! You don't have to be afraid now."

"Don't touch me!" Tristan screamed, pushing Quinn away. "Stop scratching me!"

Mothitelle gave a mocking laugh. "How pathetic. What sort of heroic Knight is this who cowers at the sight of us? Galvajask, ensnare the others!"

Galvajask flew down and shot out four electrified strands that struck Rafi, Quinn, Electra, and Marianne, pinning them to the floor. Viola ran over to help, but Galvajask fired another strand at her legs, trapping her in place.

Mothitelle then landed next to Tristan, still laughing derisively. "And now your friends will die at our hands, and there's nothing you can do to stop it..."

"Leave me alone," Tristan stammered, not looking at Mothitelle. "Just leave me alone, please!"

Seeing her friend in danger, Marianne took in a breath and summoned her will. "TRISTAN! Listen to me! I know you can defeat these guys!"

Hearing her voice, Tristan lifted his head slowly. "M-Marianne?"

"I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier," Marianne went on. "I thought I was trying to help you, but all I did was make your fear worse. I know now how badly terrified you are, but you're the only one left who can fight them! Now get up and face your fear like a man!"

"Yeah, Tristan, we believe in you!" Rafi called out.

"Stand up and fight, Tristan!" Electra shouted.

"You can do it, buddy!" Quinn yelled.

"Do it, Tristan!" Viola cried. "Do it!"

Hearing the sound of his friends cheering, Tristan slowly curled his hands into fists and began to stand. "I am scared of facing these bugs," he said to himself. "But my friends need me! I have to do this... I must do this..." Finally he grabbed his sword and rose to his feet. "I WILL DO THIS!"

With that, he swung his sword round, striking Mothitelle and sending her flying into the web where she stuck.

Galvajask hissed and flew in, claws raised above his head. In one movement, Tristan ducked aside and swung his sword, cutting off one of Galvajask's wings and sending the Poké-Mutant crashing to the floor.

Just then, his sword began to glow red. "What is this?" Tristan asked.

"It's a new attack for your sword," Gurkinn explained over the communicator. "It'll allow you to channel your element and create a devastating finishing attack."

Tristan grabbed the sword in both hands and turned to Galvajask. "Get ready to be burned! Lava Plume Slash!"

At his command, his sword caught fire and he charged at the Poké-Mutant, swinging it hard. Galvajask cried out in pain as his whole body was set alight and he fell to the floor, exploding.

All around the Gym, the web shivered and then faded away, freeing the others.

"Yeah! You did it, Tristan!" Rafi cheered.

"This isn't over yet, Knights of Order!" Mothitelle shouted, taking to the air. "This monster can still stop you. Power Sp-ARRGGHH!" She was suddenly hit by a blast from Marianne's Water Cannon, knocking her to the floor. "My wings! You've soaked my wings!"

"That was for letting your creature zap me!" Marianne shouted. "Now get out of here, or Tristan will burn you too!"

Mothitelle scowled at them. "Don't think this is the last you'll ever see of me!" she yelled before she vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Wow," Viola gasped. "Remind me never to get you upset."

"Sorry," Marianne sighed. "It's just been one of those days."

* * *

"Utterly useless!" Yvestros bellowed, slapping Mothitelle with his wing. "How could you let this happen?"

"It's not my fault!" Mothitelle protested. "I would have had them if my wings didn't get wet."

Sharphound and Sabelteur swapped looks and chuckled to themselves.

"Oh, shut up!" Mothitelle snapped. "Psyshock!" She fired a wave of energy that bashed them in the chest and sent them flying into a wall.

* * *

"So you and Quinn and Electra are also Poké Rangers?" Viola asked Tristan once Marianne had explained her reveal to the others and Gurkinn over her communicator.

"Yeah, pretty much," Tristan admitted. "Though our official title is Knights of Order. By the way, uh, promise that you won't tell anyone else."

"Sure thing," Viola replied. "Does any other Gym Leader know of this?"

"Just Clemont for the moment," Gurkinn answered. "But I feel that sooner or later, the rest of them will find out, some sooner than others."

"Oh, that reminds me," Tristan said. "I wanted to challenge you to a Gym Battle for your badge."

"Okay, I accept," Viola smiled. "But don't think I'm going easy on you just because you're a Knight of Order!"

She and Tristan went on opposite sides of the Gym while the others sat down in the stands.

Viola then threw out her Poké Ball. "Surskit, let's go!"

"Fletchling, I choose you!" Tristan cried, throwing his ball.

Marianne watched the battle with a calculating expression, noticing that Tristan was still a little nervous at seeing first Surskit and then Vivillion. "Looks like our boy still has a little bit of fear left in him."

"True," Quinn agreed. "But it's only when you confront your fear and still do what you need to do, that you truly become brave."

As Tristan won the battle with his Torchic and earned his first badge, Marianne just smiled.

* * *

 **And another chapter finished. So, first time beating a monster without the PokéZords. I don't expect to have all monsters defeated by the Zords, especially not in such a small city as Santalune.**

 **Anyway, you should know the drill by now. Monster suggestions in the reviews or by PM.**

 **See you later**


	7. Fanning the Flames of Vengeance

_Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _With the Gym Leader Viola back in Santalune City, Tristan and Rafi eagerly head to the Gym to begin their Pokémon journey, until Tristan discovered that Viola uses Bug Types of which he has a terrible fear. While Quinn and Electra stayed with Tristan to help him out, Marianne accompanied Rafi to his Gym battle, only for Mothitelle to invade the Gym with her new monster, Galvajask, who quickly overwhelmed and then trapped Rafi, Marianne and Viola in his Electoweb. But before Mothitelle could drain Viola's life force, the other Knights came to the rescue. When Galvajask attacked them with his sticky strands, Tristan was forced to overcome his fear to defeat the Poké-Mutant while Marianne prevented Mothitelle from reviving him. With the Gym, Tristan faced Viola and won his first badge..._

* * *

Chapter 6: Fanning the Flames of Vengeance

Tristan stared at his badge case, admiring the Bug Badge for the umpteenth time as he walked along Route 4. "My very first Kalos badge!" he breathed. "It's more special than I ever imagined."

"I know," Rafi agreed. "Dad's gonna be so proud of me!"

" _Mincci!_ " Lucky replied.

Tristan felt sad as he pocketed his case. "I wish I knew where my Dad was," he muttered. "I haven't heard from him since I came to Lumiose City."

"Have you tried contacting your mum then?" Marianne asked.

"I did, but there's some trouble with the connection back to Hoenn," Tristan replied. "Every time I call her, the signal fails."

"Well, don't worry," Quinn comforted. "I'm sure something will get through to her."

" _Grovyle!_ " said Quinn's Grovyle, and his other Pokémon agreed too.

"Yeah, she must be worried sick," Electra agreed. "But I'm sure she'll be proud of you too."

"Look!" Rafi called then. "We made it back to Lumiose City!"

"Alright, I'll head back to my dad's apartment to see if anything's come up," Tristan said.

"I'll be with you once I set up my camp," Quinn added.

"I'll stay and help out," Marianne offered. "Some of my Pokémon could help you."

"Thanks," Quinn replied.

As Electra and Rafi went off to meet their families, none of them noticed a black Pidove perched on top of an electric light, watching their activities with glowing red eyes...

* * *

As Tristan reached the apartment building, he suddenly heard a loud scuffling coming from the alley. Raising his fists, he turned around. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

" _Slash!_ " Suddenly a yellowy-brown mouse-like Pokémon with brown spikes on its back came hurtling out the alley and pounced on Tristan, sending him tumbling to the pavement.

"Oof!" Tristan gasped as he landed. Then he looked closely at the Pokémon. "Sandslash? What are you doing here? And where's my dad?"

" _Slash, sandslash, slash!_ " Sandslash waved his paws up and down and pointed out the city walls. " _Slash, sla-slash, sandslash, sand!_ "

"Slow down!" Tristan shouted, getting to his feet. "I don't know what you're saying, but I think I know someone who could help us."

He lifted his Morpher, pressing the communicator button. "Gurkinn, I need transport back to base."

"Is there a particular reason why?" Gurkinn asked.

Tristan looked over at Sandslash. "I think I found a clue as to where my father has gone..."

* * *

"What can we do against those pesky Knights?" Yvestros growled. "They've always been one step ahead of us whenever we fight them!"

"Then we need some way to stay two steps ahead of them," Sabelteur suggested.

"And how do we do that, may I ask?" Sharphound wondered.

"The Knights of Order have been known to appear whenever trouble comes to a certain area." Sabelteur pointed to the screen which had many viewpoints of Kalos, including Lumiose City. "I have sent my special Spydoves out to scan the whole region. If any of the Knights so much as blow their nose, they will alert us."

"In the meantime, we need to prepare our monsters beforehand," Mothitelle added. "I suggest we make one out of a sturdy Pokémon, one that will withstand the attacks of the Knights of Order."

"Yes, indeed," Yvestros replied. "Sabelteur, get to work on the monster!"

* * *

Rafi, Marianne, Quinn, and Electra stepped through the Transportation Door, meeting up with Tristan and Gurkinn.

"What's the emergency?" Quinn asked.

Tristan pointed to Sandslash who was sitting on the bed being examined by Lucario. "That Sandslash belongs to my dad, and he just turned up outside my apartment building. Lucario is scanning his memories through the aura to find out where my dad is."

"You said your dad was working at Terminus Cave," Rafi recalled. "That's about a week's journey away."

"That could explain why it took so long for him to come," Tristan agreed.

" _Lucar! Lucario!_ "

Gurkinn looked up at his Pokémon's cry. "He's found something in Sandslash's memories."

Tristan ran over to Lucario. "What did you find?"

Lucario looked nervous and then turned to Gurkinn who nodded. "I think he deserves to know what happened."

With a nod, Lucario stepped closer to Tristan and lifted his paws. Tristan backed away a bit. "What's he doing?"

"Don't be afraid," Gurkinn reassured him. "The only way Lucario can share the images of the aura is through touching someone. Just let him touch you."

Tristan nodded and stood still. "I'm ready, Lucario. Show me the memory."

Lucario placed his paws on Tristan's shoulder and closed his eyes. A blue glow emanated from his paws and swept over the Fire Knight.

Suddenly Tristan saw the world change. He found himself standing in a glowing blue tunnel next to an Excadrill and a Diggersby. Ahead of him, through a hole in the wall, he saw his father and three men wandering around a massive chamber, drawing closer to a huge boulder.

" _Slash! Sandslash, slash! Sandslash!_ " Hearing Sandslash, Tristan looked around but he couldn't see him anywhere. Then he remembered that he was in Sandslash's memories.

"What is it, Sandslash? Is something wrong?" he then heard his father say.

" _Slash, slash!_ "

Then the other Pokémon started yelling so the human conversation was blocked out. But Tristan could see them gesturing and pointing at the boulder. Then he saw one worker grabbing a pickax and swinging it at the boulder.

"Wait, DON'T!" his dad yelled just too late.

As the pickax struck the boulder, the whole caverns started to shake and cracks appeared on the surface of the rock. Suddenly Tristan felt himself moving and he saw the other Pokemon running alongside him. At the entrance of the tunnel, Tristan stopped moving and then turned around, looking back at the hole.

Voices rang out from the hole as Tristan re-approached the hole and peeked through it, gasping in horror at Yvestros standing before the men. Just then, he raised his wings over his head. "OBLIVION WING!"

In that moment, Tristan realised what was about to happen next, but just like in a nightmare, he found he was unable to turn away. So he could only watch helplessly as his father and the other men were zapped by Yvestros' lightning and turned into stone statues.

The next thing he knew, he was back in the Knights' Base, falling backwards onto the floor.

"Tristan, are you okay?" Marianne asked as she and the others ran up to him. Then she saw the tears welling up in his eyes. "What do you see?"

"I... I saw my dad..." Tristan sniffed loudly and pulled his knees up under his chin. "Yvestros, he... he killed my dad!"

Marianne and Electra gasped in horror. Rafi put his hands over his mouth and Quinn frowned sadly. Gurkinn closed his eyes and bowed his head. "I was afraid that would have happened."

Electra sat down next to Tristan and hugged him. "Tristan, I am so sorry."

"Did you know about this, Gurkinn?" Quinn asked.

"When Lucario first sensed Yvestros' escape, he showed me the chamber," Gurkinn admitted. "I was too focused on his revival, I didn't even notice the men. But I suppose that to revive his generals, he needed the life force of three beings."

Tristan looked up, his eyes narrowed. "Yvestros killed my father just so he could revive his men?! That's terrible!"

"Calm down, Tristan," Gurkinn ordered. "I know that what Yvestros did was despicable, but we need to focus on the present."

"Right," Tristan growled, getting to his feet. "We need to find Yvestros and make him pay!"

"What?" Rafi cried. "That's insane!"

"Worse, it's suicidal," Electra concurred. "We're not ready to face Yvestros as we are."

"If we don't stop him, who else will?" Tristan shouted. "Gurkinn, can your Door take us to Terminus Cave?"

Gurkinn looked shocked. "Tristan, you can't possibly-"

"Please! I have to know!"

Gurkinn sighed. "I have tried, but Yvestros' influence has prevented me from actually getting into the chamber of his imprisonment. At best, I could only make the Door come at the entrance."

"Tristan, you can't possibly be thinking of going there," Marianne cried. "Yvestros has already gone, you're not gonna find him."

"I'm not going for Yvestros," Tristan replied darkly. "I'm going to get my father back!"

"He's already dead!" Quinn retorted. "You go out there, you're liable to get yourself killed too."

But Tristan was already making his way towards the Door. "I have to do this. My father doesn't deserve to be left out there on his own. I have to bring him home at least."

" _Slash, slash!_ " Sandslash jumped off the bed and ran over to Tristan.

"You want to come too, huh?" Tristan patted Sandslash on the head. "Thanks, buddy. I'm sure Dad would appreciate this."

Gurkinn let out a sigh. "I see you can't be persuaded otherwise. Very well, you can go to Terminus Cave. But remember: if Yvestros or any of his minions show up, you are not to confront them alone. Your mind must be clear of any thoughts of revenge; they will use it against you."

With that, he set the coordinates of the Door. Tristan stepped closer then paused and turned around. "Are you guys coming or what?"

The other Knights swapped awkward glances.

"See, the thing is..." Rafi started.

"We're kind of worried about you," Electra added.

"You're upset at your father's death, we get it," Quinn went on. "But sadness in the wrong mindset will lead to anger, and if you're not careful, it could be costly."

"What we're trying to say is, we don't want to go," Marianne finished. "You want to get yourself killed, fine. But leave us out of it."

Tristan glared at each of them. "Fine. Do what you want, but I'm going to get my father back. With or without you."

So saying, he and Sandslash stepped through the Door and disappeared.

* * *

 _Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Beep-beep!_

Yvestros jumped as his monitor started flashing a warning red. "Knight of Order activity has been spotted!"

Mothitelle quickly traced the signal back. "It seems to be coming from Terminus Cave."

"It's the Fire Knight. He's just arrived at the entrance." Sharphound's eyes narrowed as he looked closer at Tristan. "There's something about him that seems familiar..."

"It doesn't matter," Yvestros snapped. "We have to destroy him quickly!"

"And I have just finished the means to do so, my Lord," Sabelteur called, entering the room with his new monster in tow. "Presenting, Goldrigon!"

The monster looked like a Druddigon wearing the rock-hard shell of a Golem. Its skin was grey like stone, except for the head which was black like obsidian.

"As promised, this monster is completely rock-solid," Sabelteur explained. "Any attacks that the Knights of Order give him will bounce off his hide. Once they are worn out, he will slice them up with his deadly claws."

"Perfect," Yvestros chuckled, rising from the throne. "Then let us go down and face this Knight."

"Is that wise, my Lord?" Mothitelle asked.

"I might as well show this Knight my face," Yvestros replied. "It will be the last thing he sees before we slaughter him!"

Laughing wickedly, he flapped his wings and teleported himself and his men away...

* * *

Terminus Cave turned out to be much larger than Tristan thought it was, but luckily Sandslash was able to Dig his way down to the tunnel that he had been working on.

Tristan picked up a lantern and shook it, listening to the slosh of the oil left inside. "Don't have matches, so I might as well..." He took out a Poké Ball. "Torchic, out you come."

In a flash, Torchic appeared at his side. " _Torchic!_ "

Tristan knelt down and held up the lantern. "Torchic, could you light this for me?"

" _Torchic, chic._ " Torchic shot a small ember from his beak at the wick, setting it alight. Tristan adjusted the flame down a little and set off into the chamber, Torchic and Sandslash following close behind.

The first thing Tristan saw was, of course, the three statues in front of the broken boulder. Each of them was kneeling on the floor, their arms raised and their faces twisted into expressions of pain. He examined each of them carefully until he found his father frozen in place, a single tear stuck on his cheek never to fall.

"Hey, Dad, I found you," Tristan muttered. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get to you. A lot has been going on for me." He took out his badge case and held it open. "Look, I got my first badge. Yeah, it was a Bug Type Gym, but I put my fear of bugs aside for it."

His father made no response.

Tristan knelt down next to him. "Oh, Dad, I'm so sorry. If I had known that something had happened, I would have come. But I'm here now." He hugged his father while Torchic and Sandslash huddled up next to him. "There's something else you should know. I've become a Knight of Order, a type of Poké Ranger, and I've been saving Kalos. I promise that I won't let what happened to you happen to anyone else."

"Now, now, little Knight, you shouldn't make promises that you'll never keep!" came a distorted voice behind him.

Tristan, Torchic and Sandslash whirled around to see four figures standing in the chamber. He recognised Sharphound and Mothitelle instantly, but the other two were completely new to him. One was a Druddigon-like monster with the shell of a Golem, and the other had the head and wings of Yveltal. A gasp caught in Tristan's throat as he saw the second figure. "Yvestros!"

"Yes, Fire Knight, it is I," Yvestros chuckled wickedly.

Sharphound stepped up to Tristan and examined him closely then he looked over at his father's statue. "Of course... That's why you looked so familiar. You're that worker's son!"

"Yes, and you guys murdered my dad just so you could come back to life!" Tristan snapped, punching Sharphound on the snout.

With a growl, Sharphound swung his fist out, pushing Tristan to the ground. "Insolent child," he growled, rejoining his Lord.

"My, my, such a quick temper," Yvestros sneered. "What do the lives of a few people matter in this great battle? Have you forgotten how many other people and Pokémon died in Santalune Forest? This is war! And in the end, there can only be one winner: Me!"

Tristan got to his feet and glared at Yvestros. "No, we've beaten you before, and we'll keep doing it until we destroy you!"

"'We'?" Yvestros scoffed. "You forgot one thing, Fire Knight. You came here alone whereas I came prepared with my army. Goldrigon, deal with him!"

"With pleasure, my Lord," Goldrigon snarled in a gravelly voice, stomping towards Tristan as a horde of KrokoViles appeared around him.

Torchic and Sandslash protectively jumped in front of Tristan who raised his Morpher and pressed the button. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

A burst of fire erupted from the Morpher and swept over his body, forming his armor.

Yvestros laughed nastily. "I fear that this is one battle you will most definitely lose. Goldrigon, call me when he's dead!" With that, he, Sharphound and Mothitelle disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

At the Knights' Base, Rafi sat on one of the beds with a sigh. "It doesn't feel right, letting Tristan go off on his own like that."

"It's his father out there," Electra reminded him. "He feels responsible for what happened to him."

"All the same, we should have given him a lot more support," Quinn muttered. "We are a team after all."

"More than that, you guys are his family now," Gurkinn replied. "He has no one to turn to here in Kalos, and you four, as well as Lucario and I, are the closest thing he has to a family; someone to help him and support him when nobody else can."

Marianne nodded. "You're right, Gurkinn. We need to get after Tristan and help him."

" _Lucar, lucario!_ "

The others turned as Lucario ran over to the screen. "What's wrong, old friend?"

Lucario put his paw on a scanner, and the screen was filled with static.

"What's he doing?" Rafi asked.

"The scanner is creating an image using what Lucario saw through the aura." Then the screen changed and Gurkinn gasped as he saw it. The others could see Tristan facing up to Yvestros and his men who disappeared, leaving him with an army of KrokoViles and a new monster.

"We've got to get down there!" Marianne cried. "Gurkinn, get the Door ready!"

"I told you, it only appears by the entrance and we'll never make it in time!" Gurkinn then snatched up a green orb. "Our best chance will be the Natu Orbs."

"Then let's get down there!" Rafi shouted.

He, Marianne, Quinn, Electra, and Gurkinn pressed the buttons on their Morphers. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

* * *

Tristan kicked a KrokoVile in the chest then grabbed another by the arm and threw it against the cave wall. Two KrokoViles tried to pounce on him on either side. Tristan ducked down and the monsters crashed into each other. Torchic fried three KrokoViles with his Ember while Sandslash dealt with the rest with his claws.

"Iron Head!" Goldrigon lowered his head and charged, bashing Torchic and Sandslash aside and knocking them out. Tristan dived out of the way, letting the Poké-Mutant crash into a wall.

As Goldrigon shook his head, Tristan held out his hands. "Blaziken Fire Sword, engage!"

The weapon appeared and he swung it round, taking out four KrokoViles. He then charged at Goldrigon and swung the sword down on his neck. _Clang!_ The sword bounced off without leaving so much as a scratch.

"Rock-hard skin, Knight!" Goldrigon laughed. "Nothing can get past it. But I can get to you!" So saying, he grabbed Tristan by the throat, lifted him up and hurled him across the chamber.

Tristan landed at the feet of the statue of one worker. Goldrigon lowered his head and charged again. Tristan dived out of the way at the last second, the Poké-Mutant smashing the statue instead.

"No, you killed him!" Tristan gasped.

"Who cares? He was already dead, and so are the others." Goldrigon swung his tail around and smashed off the head of the other petrified worker. "See? Without their life force, they've just become hard as stone."

Tristan quickly ran in front of the last statue. "You stay away from my father!"

"I'll never understand you humans," Goldrigon snorted, stepping up to Tristan. "Your father's dead and yet you still insist on protecting him." He swung his claws out and knocked Tristan aside. "You know, my orders were to kill you, but I think this is more painful. I'll destroy your father right in front of you, and then you shall die, knowing you failed to protect your only family."

"Please, don't," Tristan gasped as Goldrigon raised his claws, ready to demolish the last petrified human…

Suddenly, a huge stream of water struck Goldrigon in his side, pushing him away from the statue. Tristan turned and saw the other Knights stepping towards him, morphed and armed to the teeth. "Guys, you're here!"

"You're wrong about one thing, monster!" Gurkinn yelled, helping Tristan to his feet. "Tristan may not have his father, but he does have other people he should consider as family! And a family that fights together…"

"Stays together!" the others finished together.

Goldrigon grunted and started to charge again. Gurkinn whipped out his Aura Blaster and fired three shots, driving him back. "Guys, keep Goldrigon away from Mr Mitchell. I have to prime the Natu Orb for teleportation!"

"You got it!" Tristan drew out his pistol and pointed at Goldrigon. "Fire Blaster!"

Bolts of burning energy shot out of the pistol and struck Goldrigon, but still, he kept coming.

"Immune to Fire, huh?" Marianne drew out her gun. "How about a little of my Bubble Beam!"

"And maybe you'd like some Petal Leaves too!" Quinn added.

They both fired shots from their guns, glowing bubbles from Marianne and bright green leaves from Quinn, striking Goldrigon and damaging his rocky shell.

Rafi raised his bow and fired some of his arrows, hitting Goldrigon in his face.

"It's done!" Gurkinn yelled, snatching up Torchic and Sandslash. "Electra, go for him now!"

Nodding, Electra ran forward and swung her hammer down, bashing Goldrigon in the head. With a snarl, Goldrigon swung out his hand and grabbed her tight.

"Electra!" Tristan gasped, as he and the others ran towards her.

"Did you really think that your attack could stop me?" Goldrigon growled, holding Electra close to his face.

"Actually, I was hoping it didn't." Electra pulled her arm free and held out her hand. "Do it, Gurkinn!"

Gurkinn threw out a glowing green orb to Electra before throwing a second at his feet. Electra snatched up the ball and threw it down. In an instant, the cave was lit up by two flashes of light…

* * *

When Tristan opened his eyes, he found himself in a field next to Marianne, Rafi, and Quinn. Before him, Goldrigon was rubbing his eyes as Electra pulled herself free.

"Where are we?" Tristan asked, getting to his feet.

"Back at Route 4," Marianne replied. "Gurkinn's plan worked a treat."

"What plan?" Tristan cried.

"We knew that fighting Goldrigon in such a tight space would be a problem," Quinn explained. "So Gurkinn decided to use the Natu Orbs to get him out into the open."

"But to do that, we needed to get close enough for the Orb to affect him," Electra said. "And since I was the fastest, I chose to do it."

"And meanwhile," Rafi added, "Gurkinn used his Natu Orb to transport your father back to base, out of Goldrigon's clutches."

Just then, Goldrigon let out an angry roar.

"His armor's still weakened by our attacks," Tristan noted. "Let's finish him off with the Justice Blaster."

"Water Cannon!" Marianne held her weapon out.

"Feather Bow!" Rafi stuck his weapon underneath the Blaster.

"Leaf Dirks!" Quinn stuck his daggers on either side of the barrel.

"Thunder Hammer!" Electra stuck her weapon at the back.

"Fire Sword!" Tristan put his sword on top of the Blaster. The tip of the sword opened up, as did Electra's hammer and Quinn's daggers, forming extra barrels.

"Justice Blaster, active!" Tristan cried, holding up the weapon as the other Knights ran behind him. "Fire!"

The blast from the Justice Blaster swept over Goldrigon, blowing off the rest of his armor. Goldrigon cried out in agony as he collapsed to the ground and exploded.

* * *

"Impossible!" Yvestros yelled. "He was supposed to be invincible!"

"I forgot all about that weapon," Sabelteur realized. "Oops."

"Don't worry, my Lord," Mothitelle replied. "I'm on it!" With that, she disappeared.

* * *

"Thanks for coming to save me, guys," Tristan said. "I really appreciate it."

"Don't thank them yet," Mothitelle called as she appeared above Goldrigon's body. "This battle's just getting started. Power Spore!"

With a flap of her wings, she sprinkled her powder over Goldrigon, making him grow bigger and reforming his armor.

"Seriously?" Quinn yelled.

Tristan pressed a button on his Morpher. "Release the PokéZords!"

In less than a minute, the Transportation Door appeared and the PokéZords charged out, ready for battle. The Knights were enveloped in a beam of light and the Zords transported them into their cockpits.

"Goldrigon's got his armor back on again," Gurkinn told them through the communicator. "The Mega Sword would bounce off it like rubber. You have to remove the armor quickly."

"Alright, guys," Tristan told the others. "Time to learn what our individual Zords can do." He grabbed his joystick and pushed it forward. "High Jump Kick!"

The Blaziken Zord jumped forward, its knee bent at an angle, and kicked Goldrigon in the chest, making the armor crack. Goldrigon growled angrily and swiped out his claws, driving the Zord back.

"Hang on, Tristan!" Rafi called, pressing buttons on his console. "Sky Drop!"

With a mechanical squawk, the Pidgeot Zord swooped towards Goldrigon, grabbed his arms and carried him up into the air.

"Let me go!" Goldrigon roared.

"If you say so." Rafi pulled his stick and his Zord released its grip, dropping Goldrigon with such force that his armor broke further.

"Good one, Rafi!" Electra shouted. "Now it's my turn! Thunder Punch!"

As Goldrigon stood up, the Ampharos Zord charged forward, its fist sparking wildly, and punched him in the face. Goldrigon fell back, his body surrounded by electricity.

"He's paralyzed!" Tristan called. "Quinn, Marianne, go for it!"

"Skull Bash!" Marianne yelled, throwing her stick out.

The Blastoise Zord lowered its head and charged forward, crashing into Goldrigon and breaking his armor further.

Quinn threw his stick forward. "Wood Hammer!"

The Sceptile Zord spun around and smashed Goldrigon with its tail, shattering the armor completely.

"Time to finish it!" Tristan yelled as he and the other Knights slammed their hands on the buttons. "Megazord of Justice transformation, activate!"

Each PokéZord flashed white as the command was issued. First, the Blaziken Zord jumped into the air, its arms folding back into its body. At the same time, the Blastoise Zord withdrew its head and limbs into its shell, which opened up on the front and fused over the Blaziken Zord's body, creating the main torso.

Next, the Sceptile and Ampharos Zords lay down on their stomachs and folded in their limbs and tails as they straightened up, the heads resting on their chests. The bottom half joined onto the main torso, forming the legs.

Then, the Pidgeot Zord took to the air, its head and tail folding into its body which then split in half. Each half then joined to either side of the torso upside down, so that the legs formed the arms, while the wings folded over the front of the torso. The completed MegaZord landed on the ground, the Blaziken's beak opening up to reveal a more humanoid face.

"Megazord of Justice, ready!" the Knights yelled in the main cockpit as the robot raised its arms.

"Mega Sword, engage!" Tristan shouted.

Instantly, the giant sword appeared in the Megazord's hands.

"Let's cream this creep!" Tristan announced, throwing his stick out. "Order Slash!"

The Megazord charged forward and swung out its glowing sword, cutting right through Goldrigon. The Poké-Mutant let out a final painful roar as he fell to the ground and exploded.

"Nice!" Tristan cheered.

* * *

Tristan stood in front of the statue of his father, now stored in the Knights' Base. Sandslash stood by his side and Torchic was perched on his shoulder.

Gurkinn stood next to him, patting him on the back. "I don't know if we'll be able to save your father, but at least he's out of Yvestros' reach here."

"Thanks, Gurkinn." Tristan turned to look at him. "Did you really mean what you said back at Terminus Cave, that you and the others were my family?"

"Of course I did," Gurkin replied. "The original Knights of Order treated every member of the team as their family. Families don't always mean the people you grew up with, they could be any friends you make on your journey, be it human or Pokémon. And a family always sticks together to the end."

Tristan smiled then turned to Sandslash. "Listen, Sandslash, thank you for helping me find my dad. Will you come with me on the rest of my journey across Kalos?"

Sandslash's eyes lit up with joy. " _Slash, slash!_ " he cheered, jumping into Tristan's arms.

"Glad to have you on my side," Tristan chuckled. "So where to next, Gurkinn?"

"Let me think," Gurkinn replied. "Yes, the next Gym is in Cyllage City. To get there, you'll have to go through Camphrier Town and then a quick wander through the Connecting Cave."

"Then let's go!" Tristan patted his father on the shoulder. "You hear that, Dad? I'm off to my next Gym Badge! And nothing will stop me now!"

* * *

"Blast it all!" Yvestros scowled. "Again the Knights of Order stop my plans of conquest."

"Don't fret too much, my Lord." Mothitelle gave a little smile, not easy with a Venomoth face. "You see, I found something in Terminus Cave just before we left." She then held up a single coin.

"What is that?" Sharphound asked.

"Do you remember when we hunted down the other Knights?" Mothitelle reminded him. "Once we killed them, we scattered their medallions across the region, never to be seen. Well, this happens to be one of them."

Yvestros looked at the medallion, which had the image of a dragon carved on its side. "Hmm, I wonder…"

* * *

 **Dun dun duuuuunnnnnnn! Yvestros has one of the lost Knight's medallions! What could this mean for our Knights of Order? Only time will tell.**

 **But that time is going to come much later for two reasons: 1) My bandwidth connection is having problems, and 2) I'm going to be on holiday for the next week. I'm saying this now because I don't want you to think I've given up on this story. When I'm back and hopefully everything is sorted, the story will continue.**

 **Until then, see you next time**


	8. The Royal Knights

**I'm back from my holiday, and back to writing my next chapter.**

 _Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _Upon returning to Lumiose City, Tristan discovered his father's Sandslash waiting for him outside his apartment building. When Gurkinn's Lucario scanned its memories, Tristan learned the horrible truth of his father's fate and filled with anger, he commanded Gurkinn to transport him to Terminus Cave so he could save his frozen body. Once he and Sandslash arrived, he found Yvestros and his generals waiting for him, letting loose their newest monster, Goldrigon upon him. Fortunately, Gurkinn and the other Knights came to his rescue, teleporting his father to safety and destroying Goldrigon. Now Tristan and his friends are on their way to Cyllage City where the next Gym awaited them..._

* * *

Chapter 7: The Royal Knights

"According to Gurkinn," Marianne explained as they walked along Route 5, "to get to Cyllage City, we have to pass through Camphrier Town and then trek through the Connecting Cave."

"How long would that take?" Tristan asked.

"Well, since we made good time yesterday, we should make it to town by this afternoon," Marianne replied. "Then it's about three days journey to the caves."

"I want to at least see the sights of the town," Rafi said excitedly. "The Parfum Palace is close by. I wanna meet the princess in person!"

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky cheeped.

"Ha, dream on!" Electra scoffed. "The princess of Parfum Palace has rarely been seen in public. You'll probably have as much chance of seeing her as anyone seeing a Victini dancing with a Celebi."

" _Pika-pika,_ " said Pikachu.

Rafi looked disappointed. "Oh..."

"Don't worry, Rafi," Quinn reassured him, patting him on the head. "We'll still have a good look around the palace, even if we don't see the princess."

" _Grovyle!_ " said his Grovyle.

Floette floated onto Rafi's shoulder and patted his cheek.

Tristan nodded. "Tell you what, we'll make time tomorrow and the next day to looking around the city. That should cheer you up a little, right, Rafi?"

"I guess," Rafi said, still miserable.

As they walked along, none of them noticed a Pidove perched in a tree, watching them with glowing red eyes...

* * *

"A princess, eh?" Yvestros chuckled, watching the images from the Spydove. "She would make for an excellent target. Any clues as to where she may be now?"

"Yes, my Lord," Mothitelle replied, looking at a separate screen showing a carriage pulled by two Ponyta down the road, surrounded by guards with their Pokémon. "This Spydove is currently at Route 6. It's located the princess heading towards the palace now."

"So it's unoccupied at the moment? Excellent!" Yvestros rubbed his hands together. "Sabelteur, I need you to create a new monster, one that will control the minds of the palace staff."

"At once, my Lord," Sabelteur cried, running off to obey.

"Meanwhile, Sharphound, you will take an army of KrokoViles and corner the princess,"Yvestros ordered. "Once we have her, we'll take over the palace as our new lair. Then we can begin our conquest of Kalos from within!"

* * *

There it is!" Marianne announced, pointing down the road. "That's Camphrier Town up ahead."

"Alright, let's check it out," Tristan said.

"You go on ahead, guys," Quinn said, lowering his backpack. "I'll set up camp right here then meet you at the plaza."

"Okay, see you later," Electra said, as she and the others set off into town.

Soon, they reached the centre of town and took in the sights around them. Camphrier Town was almost exactly the same as Santalune City, except the fountain was smaller and there was no Gym. In the north, Tristan saw a large old castle surrounded by a moat. "Is that the Parfum Palace?"

"No, the Palace is further away," Electra replied. "This is Shabboneau Castle. It's a lot smaller than Parfum Palace, but it has just as much history."

"Come on, let's take a look," Marianne decided.

"No, thanks," Rafi said, sitting on the fountain wall. "I don't feel up to it."

Tristan frowned. "You still sad about the princess?"

"A little," Rafi admitted as Lucky rubbed her head on his cheek.

"Listen, maybe I should take Rafi up to Parfum Palace while you take a look at Shabboneau," Electra suggested. "When Quinn comes, you can join us there."

"Good idea," Tristan said. "Let's go, Marianne."

"Alright!" Rafi cried, suddenly perking up. "Come on!"

With a smile, Electra set off after Rafi out of town.

* * *

Soon Electra, Rafi, Pikachu and Lucky were walking along Route 6, smiling as they looked around the grassy fields. A family of Sentret bounded out of the grass, chasing each other playfully. The youngest Sentret stumbled and rolled along the ground, disturbing a sleeping Oddish. Rafi laughed as the Oddish shook its leaves in annoyance, startling the Sentret.

"Glad to see you're cheered up," Electra beamed.

" _Pikachu!_ " said her Pokemon.

"Yeah, I'm sure the Palace would be great," Rafi replied. "Princess or no princess, I'll still have a good time."

Suddenly, they heard a series of loud roars coming from down the path. The Sentret family scurried back into the grass and Oddish ducked under the roots of a tree.

" _Pika, pikachu!_ " cried Pikachu.

"Those sound like KrokoViles!" Rafi gasped.

"Let's go!" Electra cried, grabbing Pikachu and running down the road. Rafi picked up Lucky and went after her.

They soon spotted the KrokoViles gathered around a carriage in the road, attacking the people around it. Three of them held the Ponyta still, pinning them to the ground. Three Honedge and two Escavalier held the KrokoViles back as best they could, but they were brought down by Sharphound's flames.

"Get away from me, you awful creatures!" came a terrified voice from the carriage. "I command you to leave!"

"That doesn't look good," Rafi said.

Electra saw that the guards were distracted and nodded to Rafi. "Let's go in and lend a hand!"

As Pikachu and Lucky jumped off their shoulders, Electra and Rafi pressed the buttons on their Morphers. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The elements of Flying and Electric shot out of their Morphers and struck their bodies, forming their armor.

"Feather Bow, engage!" Rafi commanded.

As the bow appeared in his hands, he took aim and fired three arrows, striking the three KrokoViles that held the Ponyta.

Sharphound turned around and glared at the two Knights. "What are you doing here?"

"Protecting these people from the likes of you, what else?" Electra retorted, holding her Thunder Hammer. "Now we're giving you a chance: either leave quietly or we make you go."

"Huh, sounds tempting, but I'm afraid I have to decline to both," Sharphound replied with a sneer. "You see, we have orders to kidnap the princess of Parfum Place and we're too close now to giving up."

"The princess?" Rafi gasped.

Electra was also stunned for a moment, but she quickly snapped out of it. "That's not gonna happen."

"Brave words, Knight. Now taste my FLAME CHARGE!" Sharphound's body burst into flame and he charged at them.

Rafi and Electra jumped out of the way. Electra swung her Hammer round and bashed Sharphound in the chest, sending him flying back into a tree. Rafi meanwhile fired his arrows at the KrokoViles, taking them out one by one. One KrokoVile dodged the arrows and ran towards Rafi. Bravely, Lucky bounded off his shoulder and let out a piercing Hyper Voice, making the KrokoVile recoil in pain before Rafi took it out. Pikachu finished the rest off with his Electro Ball.

"Last chance to surrender, Sharphound!" Electra yelled.

Sharphound narrowed his eyes. "You Knights of Order are getting on my nerves. I'm outta here!" With that, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Thank you, brave Knights of Order," said one of the carriage guards as they got to their feet. "You came at the right time and saved our princess."

"It was no problem," Electra replied modestly. "Are you guys alright?"

"We're a little scratched and bruised, but we're alive," the guard said. "We can't thank you enough."

"Let the Knights of Order approach, Hanson" came the voice from the carriage.

The guard, Hanson, led Rafi, Electra and their Pokémon to the carriage and opened the door. A young red-haired woman in a simple yet beautiful pink dress stepped out, followed by a Furfrou in Star Trim. "Presenting her Royal Highness, Princess Alicia!" Hanson announced.

Electra and Rafi bowed nobly at the princess, who smiled. "I greet you, most heroic Knights," she said in royal tones. "And I thank you for rescuing me from those awful beasts."

"I-It's a pleasure, your Highness," Rafi stammered.

"What happened exactly?" Electra asked.

"My guards and I were returning to the palace after my weekly trip to the Furfrou Parlor in Lumiose City. My dear William's trim always needs a check-up," Princess Alicia explained. "Then suddenly those brutes appeared out of nowhere and attacked us. The leader said that his master needed me to surrender his palace. Naturally, I refused, and those creatures took on the guards. If you two hadn't arrived, Arceus knows what they would have done."

"I may have a nasty idea," Electra muttered to herself.

"Don't worry, your Highness," Rafi chipped in. "We can protect you from those monsters. We do it all the time!"

" _Cino,_ " Lucky agreed.

Electra was shocked, though her helmet hid it from view. "Wait a sec-"

"A most excellent idea," Princess Alicia declared, interrupting Electra. "Hanson, you and the guards check on the Ponyta. They might still be shaken from this whole ordeal. Come on, William, we shall return to the carriage."

" _Fur, fur!_ " her Furfrou barked.

As the guards went to their duties and Alicia reentered her carriage, Electra turned to Rafi. "What the heck was that about?"

"What?" Rafi asked.

"I know you wanted to see the princess and all, but that was really dumb," Electra snapped. "You're just doing this to see her more, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not!" Rafi retorted. "Not just because of that; I offered because it's our job to protect people, isn't it? And if Yvestros is targeting her, who knows what else he might do to get his hands on her. With us here, he'll think twice before trying again."

Hearing the speech, Electra's anger melted away and she sighed. "You're right. I guess your heart's in the right place. But we'd better call the others just in case." She pressed the communicator button on her Morpher. "Come in, guys. Can you hear me?"

"Hey, Electra, what's happening?" Tristan's voice responded. "We're waiting for you back in town."

"I'm afraid that Rafi and I hit a little speed bump," Electra replied. "We just stopped Sharphound from kidnapping the princess of Parfum Palace."

"The princess?" Marianne gasped. "The actual princess?"

"Is she okay?" Quinn asked.

"Yes, but now Rafi has insisted that we protect her from another attack," Electra said.

"You should stay with her," Gurkinn replied, having overheard the conversation. "Knowing Yvestros, once he sets his eyes on someone or something, he never stops. Lucario and I will keep a lookout for any further attacks."

"Thanks, Gurkinn," Rafi said.

"In the meantime, we'll try to catch up with you," Marianne added.

"I don't think it'll be too long until we reach the palace," Electra guessed. "We'll see you later. Oh, and be sure to morph before you join us. The princess shouldn't see our true faces."

"Good call," Tristan agreed. "We'll meet you at the palace if all goes well. Tristan out."

"We're ready to move on," Hanson called.

"Alright," Electra called, picking up Pikachu and placing him on her shoulder. "Let's get going."

* * *

"You idiot!" Yvestros yelled, slapping Sharphound with his wing. "I gave you one simple task to do, and you failed me again!"

"It's not my fault," Sharphound protested. "I would've gotten away with it if it weren't for those meddling Knights!"

"Well, well," Sabelteur chortled, entering the room. "Sounds like your half of the plan has fallen apart."

"And what about the monster that you were working on?" Sharphound snapped.

"Aha!" Sabelteur beamed. "Say hello to... Kingpin!"

The monster that entered was a dark purple Slowking with a cape instead of a collar and an extra spike on the base of its crown. Its arms and legs were like a Nidoking's, as was the long strong tail.

"Fine salutations to you all on this day," it said in a regal British accent. "What is thy bidding, my Lord?"

"What's with the accent?" Sharphound scoffed.

"It suits him," Sabelteur retorted. "Anyway, the jewel in his crown has the power to take control of someone's mind. With one zap, any human or Pokémon will ignore the princess and worship him instead."

"And once we control them, we'll capture the princess and drain her life force," Yvestros finished. "Then we shall take over the palace and rule over Kalos! Kingpin, take Sharphound and Mothitelle, and go to the palace at once!"

"I hear and obey, my Lord," Kingpin replied, bowing low.

With that, Yvestros flapped his wings and sent them away.

* * *

They reappeared on the grounds of the Parfum Palace, just inside the gate.

"Last time I looked, there were tourists crawling around the place," Sharphound muttered.

"They must have closed down the palace during the princess's absence," Mothitelle assumed. "This will make our conquest all the more easier."

"Then let us commence the subjugation of the palace," Kingpin declared, pointing ahead. "Onwards, faithful followers!"

Sharphound face-palmed. "Ugh, I think Sabelteur gave him that accent just to annoy me."

The Poké-Mutants marched up to the palace doors and pushed them open. The servants and guards all turned around, expecting to see the princess back from her journey. But when they saw the monsters striding in, they all stared in shock. Some of them screamed in terror. A few of the maids, and one or two guards, even fainted.

"Halt!" yelled the captain of the guards. "Who are you creatures?"

"We are the servants of Lord Yvestros, the true ruler of Kalos," Mothitelle replied. "And we have come to claim our rightful place on the throne."

"This throne belongs to Princess Alicia," the butler shouted. "Now get out before we set the guards on you!"

"So you all serve this princess, do you?" Kingpin chuckled, stepping closer. "Well then, perhaps I can change your mind a little, eh?"

As he spoke, the jewel in his crown began to glow and a beam of red light shot out of the spike at the base, striking the butler in the face. The butler stumbled back, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"Now then," Mothitelle stated. "Who is your ruler?"

The butler lifted his head, his eyes glowing red. "Lord Yvestros," he said in a slow and hypnotized tone. "All hail Lord Yvestros."

The other servants gasped in horror while the captain of the guards called out his Doublade. "Guards! Seize those usurpers to the throne!"

"Hmmph, such meddlesome mortals," Kingpin sighed. "Time for a little re-freshening of the mind, don't you think?"

Sharphound nodded. "Do it!"

Kingpin rounded on the guards and servants and fired more beams of light at them...

* * *

As the carriage rolled along the last miles of Route 6, Electra glanced around the forest, looking for any sign of KrokoViles. So far, nothing had come up and the other Knights hadn't arrived yet. She turned around to look at Rafi. "Anything on your end?"

"No sign of Sharphound and his ghastly goons," Rafi reported.

"Nothing on our side either," said Hanson.

Rafi walked over to the carriage door and looked through the window at Princess Alicia. "Everything okay in there?"

"All is good, thank you," she replied. She then looked at Rafi with a small smile. "I do appreciate you offering your assistance like this."

"It's what we do really," Rafi said. "So I have to ask, do you travel around in secrecy? Not many people talk about you much."

Alicia nodded and rubbed William's head. "We're not the type of royal family that hide in our palaces while the world goes about their business. My father wanted us to be a monarchy for the people, showing them that we have a grand history to be shared for all to see and experience its three thousand year lineage."

"Is that why the palace is such a popular tourist attraction?"

"Yes. And we don't even charge them an entry fee."

Rafi smiled under his helmet. "That's very noble of your family."

"I'm glad you approve of it," Alicia smiled. "My father always believes in the saying ' _Noblesse oblige_ '."

"What does that mean?" Rafi asked.

"It simply means that our family must conduct ourselves most nobly, that with prestige comes responsibility," Alicia explained. "As long as we keep our people happy, we are very privileged indeed."

"Stop the carriage!" Electra called.

Rafi turned and Alicia looked out the window as the Ponyta came to a halt. "Why have we stopped?" Rafi asked.

"We've reached the palace," Hanson said in careful tones.

"Then why aren't we in the grounds?" Alicia asked.

Electra pointed ahead. "Because, your Highness, we've got company. Some very unwelcome company."

Rafi looked and gasped. A dozen KrokoViles were gathered behind the gates, growling menacingly.

"Ugh, not more of those things," Alicia groaned.

"What are we gonna do?" Rafi breathed.

"We have to get the others here, fast," Electra decided. "Pikachu, head back the way we came until you find the others and bring them back as quick as you can."

"Go with him, Lucky," Rafi said.

" _Pika!_ " Pikachu leapt off Electra's shoulders and bounded away.

" _Mincci!_ " Lucky hurried after him.

"And how exactly are we gonna face those monsters?" Alicia asked.

"I have an idea," Electra replied. "Rafi, let's get up on the roof of the carriage."

Hanson and the guards helped Rafi up onto the roof while Electra easily climbed up next to him. Then they drew out their Elemental Blasters.

"Your Highness, can these Ponyta run fast?" Electra called.

"Of course they can," Alicia replied. "They're bred mostly for speed."

"Then tell them to go full pelt through those gates!"

"Are you insane?" Alicia cried.

"Insanely brilliant," Electra replied. "Just do as we say, and we'll do the rest."

Alicia sighed and leaned out the window. "Ponyta, go through those gates as fast as you can!"

With loud neighs, the Ponyta went full gallop along the road, dragging the carriage behind them. Alicia grabbed onto her seat while Rafi and Electra clung tightly onto the roof. Seconds later, the Ponyta crashed right through the gates, trampling three KrokoViles as they did so. Then they stopped so fast that the carriage swung right around, sideswiping another KrokoVile.

"Now!" At her command, Electra and Rafi jumped off the roof and pointed their blasters. "Eat Thunder Sparks!" Electra fired bolts of electric orbs from her gun, taking out four KrokoViles.

"Or maybe you'd like Air Cutters!" Rafi shot out blasts of wind that threw the last four KrokoViles against the wall of the palace.

The guards came running up as Rafi opened the carriage door and helped Alicia and William out. "Are you alright, your Highness?" Hanson asked in concern.

"That was riveting," the princess laughed.

"Come on, your Highness," Electra said, leading her towards the entrance. "If those KrokoViles were at the palace, that could only mean trouble."

Rafi, Hanson and the guards ran after them as Electra pushed the doors open and ran inside with Alicia and William. As Rafi followed them in, he gasped at the sight that greeted them.

Inside the main hall, the servants, the other guards and their Pokémon were standing stock still, regarding the new arrivals with glowing red eyes. Worse still, at the back of the hall, they could see Sharphound and Mothitelle standing on opposite sides of the throne, on which was seated a Slowking-Nidoking hybrid.

"Who is this that would have the unmitigated effrontery to encroach in the regal chambers of Kingpin?" asked the Slowking monster.

"Uh, what?" Electra said.

"I only understood half of those words," Rafi agreed.

"Never mind all that!" Princess Alicia snapped. "What are you doing on my throne?" She turned to one of the butlers. "Maxwell, get rid of these intruders at once!"

But Maxwell didn't budge an inch.

"Maxwell, what's wrong with you?" Alicia snapped. "I order you to dispose of these creatures!"

"I obey only Yvestros," Maxwell replied in a monotone voice.

"All hail Lord Yvestros!" shouted the rest of the staff.

"What did you do to them?" Electra demanded.

"Kingpin has turned the staff's loyalties over to Yvestros," Mothitelle explained. "Now they will serve him as he takes over the palace as its new ruler."

"But I'm the palace's ruler!" Alicia snapped.

"Not anymore," Sharphound sneered. "But don't fret, your Highness. Our Lord has special plans for you."

"You will not harm our princess!" Hanson snapped, calling out his Honedge. The other guards called their Pokémon out too. Even William stepped forward, growling at the Poké-Mutants.

"Yeah!" Rafi snapped, raising his blaster. "You can't take on us all!"

"I don't need to," Kingpin retorted, getting up from the throne. "With one simple spell, you will be fighting for us instead of against us." As he spoke, the jewel in his crown started to glow.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tristan, Quinn, and Marianne were running down Route 7, approaching the palace as fast as they could.

"We should be catching up to the others any minute now," Tristan panted.

" _Pika, pika!_ "

" _Minccino!_ "

Marianne stopped and pointed ahead. "Look!"

"That must be Lucky, and Electra's Pikachu," Tristan cried.

Pikachu came to a stop and pointed back the way he'd come. " _Pika, pika, pikachu!_ "

" _Mincci, cino!_ " Lucky added, wagging her tail.

"What are they saying?" Marianne asked.

"I think they're saying there's trouble up ahead," Quinn replied. "Is that right?"

" _Pika, pika,_ " Pikachu replied with a nod.

Tristan quickly got on his communicator. "Gurkinn, what's happening up at the palace?"

"I was just about to call you," Gurkinn replied. "Lucario has sensed the aura of Sharphound and Mothitelle at the palace, as well as a new monster. He's also seen that Rafi, Electra and the princess are in danger."

"Oh no!" Marianne gasped. "We have to help them."

"It's too risky to go through the main entrance," Gurkinn went on. "You'll have to cut through the forest and make your way to the gardens. Be careful, my friends. There's no telling what lies up ahead."

"Alright, we'll go there," Tristan said. "Keep the PokéZords ready if we need them. Tristan out."

Marianne knelt next to Pikachu and Lucky. "You two head back to Quinn's campsite and wait for us there. We'll be back soon."

With a nod, Pikachu and Lucky bounded away down the path.

"Come on," Tristan said, heading into the trees. "Let's take a shortcut."

* * *

"Get down!" Electra cried, pushing Alicia down.

Beams of light shot out from the crown's spike, striking Hanson and the other guards in the face. William was also hit, as was Rafi who dropped his blaster as he stumbled back.

"Rafi!" Electra cried.

Alicia ran to William's side, petting his head. "William, are you hurt?"

Next thing she knew, William turned and headbutted her, knocking her to the floor. Alicia looked up and was horrified to see her beloved Furfrou glaring at her with glowing red eyes. "No!"

Then Hanson and the guards turned to face her, their eyes glowing too. "All hail Lord Yvestros," they spoke in the same tones as Maxwell.

Electra quickly reached for her blaster, but then a strong kick forced her down again. As she lay winded, she looked up and saw Rafi pointing his own gun at her. "Do not attempt to resist," he said in a hypnotized tone.

"Oh, Rafi, not you, too," Electra breathed.

"Excellent!" Sharphound cried. "We've turned a Knight of Order to our side!"

"Why stop at one?" Mothitelle chuckled. "With Kingpin's help, all the Knights will be fighting at our side!"

"Rafi, please don't do this," Electra cried. "You have to fight this!"

Rafi didn't respond, he just grabbed Electra and forced her to her feet, dragging her towards Kingpin...

* * *

In a matter of minutes, Tristan, Marianne, and Quinn had reached the garden. Peeking out from behind one of the mazes, they saw a whole army of KrokoViles gathered at the back of the palace.

"Getting into the palace will not be easy," Quinn whispered.

"We have to try at least," Tristan replied. "Let's do it!"

He, Marianne and Quinn raised their Morphers and pressed the buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The elements of Fire, Water and Grass erupted from their Morphers and crashed into them, forming their armor.

"Weapons of Order, engage!" Tristan yelled.

Marianne raised her Water Blaster, jumped out of hiding and fired a torrent of water, washing away a line of KrokoViles. Tristan and Quinn then charged out into the open. Tristan dodged the KrokoViles' claws and cut them down with one swing of his sword. Quinn ran among the rest, not even stopping as he sliced through them with his dirks.

"That's all of them," Tristan said. "Now let's get into the palace!"

"That won't be necessary, Knights of Order," came Sharphound's voice behind them.

Tristan, Marianne, and Quinn whirled around and saw Sharphound stepping through the palace doors, followed by a purple Slowking monster. Mothitelle came out after them with a line of guards. Last to emerge, much to their surprise, were Rafi and Electra, dragging the princess between them, and a Furfrou at their heels.

"Guys, what are you doing to her?" Tristan yelled. "Beat those guys up!"

"I'm afraid that is no longer an option," said the Slowking monster. "They are now under the hypnotic powers of Kingpin. That's me, by the by."

"He's hypnotized the rest of my staff too!" the princess called out. "Your friends acted very bravely, but they were affected too."

"Is that true?" Marianne cried.

"We obey Lord Yvestros," Rafi and Electra said in unison.

"How ironic," Sharphound chuckled. "Two of the Knights pledged to battle us are now working for us."

"And with the palace and Princess Alicia under our control, we can finally conquer Kalos," Mothitelle added with a laugh.

"I will never work with you!" Alicia snapped.

"Oh don't worry, your Highness," Mothitelle chuckled. "Once our Lord has taken over the palace, he will have no need of you anymore. However, he will have need of your life force."

"My what?" Alicia gasped.

"Don't even think about it!" Quinn yelled, charging at Mothitelle.

Before he reached her, Rafi ran up and punched him hard, throwing him back. Quinn jumped up and swung out his fist. Electra grabbed him, spun him round and hurled him back at Tristan and Marianne, knocking them to the ground.

"Oof!" Tristan gasped, struggling to sit up. "Guys, you have to fight this control!"

As Mothitelle took hold of Alicia, Rafi and Electra stepped closer to them, pointing their blasters.

"Do not attempt to resist," Electra stated.

"Soon you will also serve Lord Yvestros," Rafi added.

"No!" Quinn and Marianne gasped.

"Yes!" Sharphound argued. "With the Knights of Order on our side, conquering Kalos would be much simpler."

Kingpin stepped to the front of the group. "Get ready to have your mind altered, Knights!"

Still winded from their attack and pinned down by their allies, Tristan, Marianne, and Quinn could only watch helplessly as the jewel in Kingpin's crown started to glow...

"Now, guys!" Alicia yelled.

Suddenly Rafi and Electra whirled around and fired two shots at Kingpin's crown, striking the jewel and shattering it completely. Behind the Poké-Mutants, the guards and Furfrou stumbled back, shaking their heads in pain.

"What the deuce?" Kingpin gasped. "My jewel! You've broken my jewel!"

"And that's not all we're going to break!" Electra snapped.

"Electra! Rafi!" Tristan cried out as he and the other Knights got to their feet. "You're okay!"

"Impossible!" Sharphound snapped. "You were supposed to serve us!"

"Our helmets protected us from your mind control," Rafi explained. "So Electra and I were only pretending to be hypnotized until we found an opportunity to break that jewel."

"It doesn't matter!" Mothitelle cried. "We still have the princess as our prisoner!"

"Yes, but there's one thing you didn't count on," Alicia retorted. "William, Headbutt!"

Hearing his name, the Furfrou charged in and slammed into Mothitelle, releasing her grip on Alicia. At the same time, the guards charged in and shoved Sharphound away. As Kingpin turned to face them, the Knights fired their blasters, driving him back.

"Just as I hoped," Electra cried as Alicia, William and the guards joined them. "By destroying the jewel, we've freed everyone from Kingpin's mind control!"

"Brilliant!" Tristan cheered.

"This battle isn't over yet, Knights!" Sharphound yelled. "If we can't have the Parfum Palace, then we'll reduce it to dust! Mothitelle, use your Power Spore on me and Kingpin!"

"But Sabelteur only wanted me to use it when our monsters were defeated," Mothitelle protested.

"Which is why you should do it before then!" Sharphound countered.

"Very well," Mothitelle sighed as she took to the air. "Power Spore!"

She flapped her wings hard, sending a cloud of spore over Sharphound and Kingpin. Sharphound laughed evilly as they grew bigger and bigger until they were taller than the palace.

"Oh, my word!" Alicia gasped in horror. "They'll squash us like bugs!"

"Not on our watch they won't!" Tristan announced, pressing his button. "Release the PokéZords!"

In a matter of seconds, the Transportation Door opened and the PokéZords charged out, ready for battle.

"Quickly, your Highness, get yourself and the staff to safety," Electra said. "We'll take it from here."

"Let those thugs have it!" Alicia cheered. "Come on, Hanson, let's go!"

As she, William and the guards ran into the palace to begin the evacuation, the Knights ran over to their PokéZords which shot out beams of light that transported them into the cockpits.

"Ignore those Knights!" Sharphound yelled. "Focus on the Palace!"

"You stay away from the princess!" Rafi yelled, throwing his joystick forward. "Sky Drop!"

The Pidgeot PokéZord took to the air and swooped towards Sharphound and Kingpin, grabbing them in its talons and flying away from the palace.

"Drop them in the fields of Route 7," Tristan called through his communicator. "We'll meet you there."

Rafi nodded and pulled his stick back, causing the PokéZord to drop Sharphound and Kingpin in the field.

"You're getting on my nerves, Knight!" Sharphound snapped. "Shadow Fire!" He opened his mouth and unleashed a stream of fire. Rafi pulled hard on the controls, making his Zord avoid the flames.

"You're gonna pay for smashing my jewel!" Kingpin yelled. "Poison Pulse!" He summoned a glowing purple orb in his hands and launched it at the Zord, striking it and sending it crashing to the ground.

Rafi gasped as he was shaken around the cockpit. "Guys, it's getting tough out here!"

"Hang on, Rafi!" Electra called. "I'm coming now! Thunder Punch!"

The Ampharos PokéZord charged into view, its fist glowing with electric energy. Electra threw her stick forward and the Zord punched Kingpin back.

Sharphound growled and opened his mouth to fire another stream of Shadow Fire.

"No, you don't!" Marianne cried. "Hydro Cannon!"

The Blastoise Zord fired two jets of water from its cannons, driving Sharphound back.

"High Jump Kick!" Tristan yelled.

The Blaziken Zord leapt into the air and kicked Sharphound in the jaw. Kingpin charged towards him, his claws bared.

"Leaf Blade!" Quinn shouted.

The Sceptile Zord charged forward and swung its blades round, knocking Kingpin back and dislodging its crown.

Sharphound got to his feet, glaring angrily. "That tears it! Kingpin, let's crush these Knights of Order at once!"

Kingpin turned and rubbed his head. "Huh? What's going on here? Who are you?"

"What?" Sharphound spun around and face-palmed. "Oh no! He's lost his crown. Now he can't fight anymore!"

"That's good for us!" Tristan slammed his hand on the red button, as did the other Knights. "Megazord of Justice transformation, activate!"

Each PokéZord flashed white as the command was issued. First, the Blaziken Zord jumped into the air, its arms folding back into its body. At the same time, the Blastoise Zord withdrew its head and limbs into its shell, which opened up on the front and fused over the Blaziken Zord's body, creating the main torso.

Next, the Sceptile and Ampharos Zords lay down on their stomachs and folded in their limbs and tails as they straightened up, the heads resting on their chests. The bottom half joined onto the main torso, forming the legs.

Then, the Pidgeot Zord took to the air, its head and tail folding into its body which then split in half. Each half then joined to either side of the torso upside down, so that the legs formed the arms, while the wings folded over the front of the torso. The completed MegaZord landed on the ground, the Blaziken's beak opening up to reveal a more humanoid face.

"Megazord of Justice, ready!" the Knights yelled in the main cockpit as the robot raised its arms.

"Who are those guys again?" Kingpin asked.

"Doesn't matter!" Sharphound bellowed. "Just destroy them!"

"Right!" Kingpin replied. "Uh, how do I do that again?"

"Man, I feel kind of bad that we're gonna kill him now," Electra said.

"With or without his crown, he's too dangerous," Quinn replied.

"He's right," Tristan agreed. "Let's finish him off. Mega Sword, engage!"

The Megazord raised its hands, summoning the sword.

"Order Slash!" Tristan yelled, throwing his stick out.

The Megazord raised his sword and charged forward, swinging it round and slicing through Kingpin. In that instant, the Poke-Mutant cried out in pain as he collapsed to the ground and exploded.

Tristan then turned the Megazord to face Sharphound. "Now it's your turn!"

"You may have killed Kingpin, but you won't do the same to me!" Sharphound retorted. "This isn't the last you've seen of me!" And with that, he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

"Man, that guy was a royal pain in the butt," Electra sighed.

"You got that right," Rafi agreed.

* * *

Once the PokéZords had been returned to Gurkinn, the Knights demorphed and set off back to the Parfum Palace to check on Princess Alicia.

"Hey, uh, sorry about us attacking you guys back there," Electra said as they walked.

"Don't worry about that," Tristan replied. "You were just trying to maintain your cover."

"If you hadn't, you wouldn't have been able to take Kingpin by surprise like that," Marianne agreed.

Quinn then saw Rafi looking despondent. "Hey, what's wrong? We just saved the princess, you should be happy."

"I know," Rafi murmured. "It's just that I feel bad coming back now. Without our armor, she won't be able to recognize me."

"It's for the best, Rafi," Electra told him. "Remember what Gurkinn told us? We can't let anyone know our true identities. Viola and Clemont were the exceptions, but they can be trusted. Princess Alicia, on the other hand, would probably announce it to the world, and we can't have that now, can we?"

"You're right," Rafi replied. "The fewer people who know about us, the better."

"Look, there's the palace now," Marianne called.

Passing through the broken gates, they came up to the palace doors just as Princess Alicia stepped out.

"Oh, hello there," Alicia called. "I'm sorry, but the Palace is closed for repairs."

"What happened here?" Tristan asked innocently.

"We've just suffered a very bad attack from some unruly creatures," Alicia replied. "But luckily the Knights of Order were able to save us."

"Good for them," Electra beamed. "But I guess we'll have to come back another time."

With that, they turned and went back the way they'd come. Rafi, however, held back and looked at the princess one last time. He then saw tears forming in her eyes. "Are you crying?"

"A little," the princess admitted. "One of the Knights was so good to me. I wish they would come back so I could see him just once more."

"Well, it's probably for the best, your Highness," Rafi smiled. "They've been given a privilege to watch over all of Kalos. And you know what they say; with privilege comes responsibility."

Alicia gasped and turned to look up, but Rafi was already running off after his friends.

* * *

 **Yeah, bit of a sad ending, but what can you do?**

 **As usual, if you have any ideas for Poké-Mutants that I could use, please let me know in the reviews or send me a PM.**

 **See you next time.**


	9. Knightmare on Route 7, Part One

_Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _The Knights arrived at Camphrier Town, first stop on their journey to Cyllage City. While exploring the town, Rafi and Electra saved the princess of Parfum Palace from being kidnapped by Sharphound. In gratitude, the princess hired them as her personal bodyguards. But Yvestros quickly struck back, this time targeting the palace with Kingpin, a monster that took control of the staff's minds. Fortunately, Rafi and Electra were spared from Kingpin's spell and with the help of the other Knights, they destroyed Kingpin and stopped Sharphound from destroying the palace..._

* * *

Chapter 8: Knightmare on Route 7, Part 1

It was just after midnight at Camphrier Town and all the residents were fast asleep. For a few moments, the only sounds in the city were the buzzing of the streetlights, the foraging of Zigzagoons as they explored the streets and the gentle hooting of a Noctowl as it flew overhead.

Then suddenly, there came a deep grumbling noise that shook the streets and sent the Zigzagoons scurrying away in panic.

At the Pokémon Center's dorm rooms, Tristan and Rafi sat up in their beds in alarm. Lucky, Torchic and Sandslash jumped to their feet, on the alert. Rafi felt around in the darkness until he found his glasses and put them on. "What was that?" he asked.

The door to their room opened and the Nurse Joy in charge poked her head in. "Is everyone alright in there?"

"We're fine, thanks," Tristan said, as the rumbling came back again. "But what's making that noise?"

"It's probably that Snorlax again," Nurse Joy sighed. "Every once in a while, it comes down to the edge of town to eat. Then it always falls asleep on the bridge at Route 7."

"Is there a way to move it out of the way?" Rafi asked.

"Yes, the Earl at Shabboneau Castle owns a Poké Flute," Joy said. "Maybe you can visit him tomorrow and ask him to lend it to you."

"Then that's what we'll do," Tristan said, just as another loud snore shook their room. "If we manage to get a good night's sleep, that is."

* * *

In his hidden lair in the mountains, Yvestros observed the images taken by two Spydoves. One showed the Snorlax fast asleep on the bridge outside Camphrier Town, and the other showed the town itself as several residents came out of their homes, looking very upset.

"Hmm, it seems this Snorlax is keeping everyone awake," he muttered. "How delightful. And that gives me an idea. Sabelteur!"

At the command, Sabelteur emerged from his domain, yawning loudly. "What is it, my Lord? I was trying to sleep."

"We should never sleep when there's conquest on our minds," Yvestros snapped.

Sharphound and Mothitelle came into the room. "What's all the commotion, my Lord?" Mothitelle asked.

"Take a look at the screens," Yvestros replied. "There's a Snorlax just outside the town and it's keeping everyone awake."

"So?" Sharphound asked unimpressed.

"Well, what if we take that Snorlax and turn it into a monster capable of putting everyone to sleep?" Yvestros went on.

Sharphound swapped a puzzled look with Mothitelle. "Uh, that's not exactly a good plan, my Lord."

"But what if that monster can also trap its victims in their dreams?" Sabelteur chipped in with a wicked sparkle in his gem-like eyes. "If we use it to trap the Knights of Order, we can find out what their greatest fears are and strand them in a living nightmare!"

"That's genius!" Yvestros cried. "Let's do that!"

* * *

Out in Route 7, as dawn was starting to break, the Snorlax lay fast asleep, its snores shaking the landscape around it. It was so deeply asleep that it didn't notice the cloud of smoke forming overhead and Yvestros appearing.

"Sleep well, my dear Snorlax," Yvestros chuckled. "For soon you shall join me in the conquest in this realm!"

He flapped his wings hard, summoning a cloud of smoke that surrounded the Snorlax and transported it back to his lair...

* * *

The next morning, Tristan and Rafi shambled all the way down to the reception area of the Pokémon Center. Both of them had great difficulty getting back to sleep as the loud snoring had kept them and their Pokemon awake all night.

They found Marianne and Electra waiting for them on one of the tables, and they could already tell that they weren't the only ones who didn't sleep well. Marianne was struggling to keep her eyes open while Electra had her head on the table and was snoring gently.

"Morning, guys," Tristan said, sitting at the table. "You too, huh?"

"Yeah, how do people sleep when that Snorlax comes to town?" Marianne grumbled. "It drove us nuts."

"Poor Lucky cried all night because she couldn't get to sleep," Rafi said. "I had to put her in her Poké Ball. Normally she hates being in there, but I think it's quieter than our room."

"I did the same for Torchic and Sandslash," Tristan said. "If Sandslash can't get to sleep, he ends trying to dig holes to get more comfortable. One time, he dug a gaping hole in the kitchen and my mother only found out the next day when she fell into it. Since then, my dad tried to keep him in his ball every night or let him sleep outside."

Quinn and his Grovyle came in at that moment, looking more perkier than any of the other Knights. "Good morning, everyone!"

Electra jerked awake at his shout. "Shut up! I'm trying to sleep!"

"Did I say something wrong?" Quinn asked concerned.

" _Grove?_ " added his Grovyle.

"No, we just had a bad night," Tristan replied. "There's a Snorlax on Route 7 and it kept us awake with its snoring."

"Oh yeah, I did feel the ground shake last night," Quinn recalled. "But I didn't hear any snoring. Guess I was further away from it than you."

"Lucky for you," Electra grunted.

"Is there anything we can do?" Marianne asked.

"Well, Nurse Joy suggested we borrowed the Poké Flute from the Earl of Shabboneau Castle," Tristan replied. "But it only opens at 8. That's an hour away."

"Snorlax seems to have stopped snoring for the moment," Marianne noted. "Let's try and recover some of the forty winks we missed."

"Good idea," Electra sighed, dragging herself out of the chair.

* * *

"Come on, Sabelteur!" Yvestros bellowed. "Is the monster done yet?"

"Yes, my Lord," Sabelteur replied with another yawn. "This one took all night to make, but hopefully it'll be worth it. Presenting... Sharnalax!"

With footsteps that shook the ground, the monster entered. It was the size and shape of the Snorlax they'd caught earlier. The difference now was that it was purple instead of blue and it now had the head of a Musharna. A trail of dark purple mist rose out of her forehead and swirled around her belly like clouds on a mountain.

"Impressive," Yvestros beamed. "And what exactly will this monster do?"

Loud snoring made him turn to see Sabelteur lying fast asleep on the floor. "Oh, for Arceus' sake!"

"Perhaps I can explain myself," said Sharnalax in a deep voice. "I can send any human to sleep with a powerful yawn. Then once they're out, I swirl out my magical mist around them and send them into the realm of nightmares! Finally, when their souls are weakened by their greatest fears, I will feast on them with my Dream Eater and drain their life force."

"Diabolically brilliant!" Yvestros laughed. "And I have the perfect starters for you: the Knights of Order!"

* * *

At 8:30, the Knights met up again outside Shabboneau Castle, fully rested and ready for action.

As they entered, a man dressed in a bright red uniform approached them. "Welcome to Shabboneau Castle," he announced. "I am Earl Shabboneau, your guide through this castle."

"Thanks, but we've had the tour already," Tristan cut in. "We wanted to ask you about the Poke Flute."

"Ah, of course," the Earl said. "You want to get rid of the Snorlax that came in last night, am I correct?"

"Yes, indeed," Marianne replied.

"Well, I will certainly lend you the Poké Flute to wake it up, but you'll need to catch it to calm it down." With that, the earl approached a display case and took out the Poké Flute. "Here you go. Just make sure you return it when you're done."

"Thank you," Tristan said, putting the flute in his pocket. "Let's head to the bridge."

* * *

Soon the Knights were walking along Route 7, heading towards the bridge.

"Okay, we know what to do?" Tristan asked.

"Yes," Electra replied. "You play the Flute and awaken the Snorlax. It'll attack us and we'll try to wear it down."

"Then when it's weakened, I'll use my Capture Disc to calm it down," Quinn went on, taking out his device. "Once he's obtained, I'll take it out towards the forest and release it."

"Sounds good," Tristan said.

Just then, their Morphers started beeping as their communicators switched on. "Knights of Order, this is Gurkinn. Do you read me?"

Tristan answered the call. "Hey Gurkinn, what's up?"

"Lucario has picked up the aura of another monster on Route 7," Gurkinn replied. "Keep alert for trouble."

"Any idea what to expect?" Rafi asked.

"Not at the moment," Gurkinn said. "I'll call you back when I get something."

"Okay, 'cos we've got a bigger problem to deal with first," Tristan replied. "Once we've taken care of the Snorlax, we'll search for the monster. Tristan out."

By then, they had reached the bridge and saw the Snorlax lying on the bridge.

"There it is," Marianne breathed.

"Wait a minute, there's something different about this Snorlax." Rafi took out his PokéDex and scanned it. "Yeah, it's the wrong color. Purple, not blue."

"And what's with that weird mist on it?" Electra added.

"It doesn't matter. We still need to wake it up." So saying, Tristan lifted the Flute to his lips and started to play a gentle melody.

For a few minutes, the Snorlax didn't move. Then, at last, it rolled over onto its belly. "Who has disturbed my slumber?" came a deep female voice.

"What the?" Quinn gasped. "The Snorlax can talk?"

"I'm not a Snorlax..." The Pokémon pushed herself to her feet and turned to face them, revealing her Musharna head. "My name is Sharnalax!"

"Uh oh," Marianne gasped. "Looks like we've found Gurkinn's monster!"

"And now we can take it out!" Tristan cried, as he and the other pressed their buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The Knights watched as their respective elements burst out of their Morphers and crashed into their bodies, forming their armor.

"Aha, so you're the Knights of Order!" Sharnalax chuckled. "Let's see how tough you really are before I destroy you!"

With a yell, Tristan charged in and threw a powerful punch, only for it to bounce off the Poké-Mutant's enormous stomach. Sharnalax then swung her arm out and bashed him aside.

Quinn and Electra jumped in with flying kicks, striking Sharnalax in the head before getting knocked back by another swing.

Rafi and Marianne both ran up and each tried to catch hold of the monster's arms. With a smirk, Sharnalax swung out her legs and kicked them back.

"Darn it, this monster is tough," Tristan panted.

"Let's try our Elemental Blasters," Quinn suggested.

The Knights whipped out their guns and fired several blasts at Sharnalax.

"Harden!" Sharnalax cried.

Her body shimmered for a moment, blocking the shots and sending them ricocheting back at the Knights.

"Look out!" Tristan cried, as he and the others ducked down to avoid the shots.

"Rattatas!" Electra snapped. "We're not even weakening her."

"I'm worn out just from the effort, and the lack of sleep," Rafi sighed.

"Aw, are the little Knights getting tired?" Sharnalax taunted. "Well then, let me tuck you in!" With that, she took a deep breath and let out a loud and powerful yawn that swept over them.

"What's happening?" Tristan cried, suddenly feeling weak.

"It's Yawn," Quinn realized. "She's trying to make us sleep!"

As Rafi and Electra fell to the ground, Marianne started to yawn herself. "I'm already... feeling tired..."

"Don't fall asleep, Marianne!" Tristan yelled, his eyes starting to droop. "We must... stay awake..."

"It's... no use..." Quinn slurred. "So... tired..." With that, he collapsed on the ground, followed by Marianne.

Tristan struggled to stand up, but it was no use. His arms and legs felt like they were stuck in jelly and his eyes felt very heavy. Finally, he gave in and fell face first in the grass.

As the Knights lay fast asleep on the path, Sharnalax stomped closer to them. "Nighty night, Knights of Slumber. But don't think your troubles end here." She reached down, grabbed a handful of purple mist and blew it over their bodies. "Unpleasant dreams!"

* * *

"Come in, Knights of Order!" Gurkinn called urgently through his communicator. "Guys, can anyone hear me?"

But the only thing that came back was static.

"Dammit, no response," Gurkinn sighed. "Something bad must have happened out there."

" _Lucar, lucar?_ " asked Lucario.

"What do we do?" Gurkinn translated. "I have no choice. I need to get out there and help them out." He ran over to the Transportation Door. "I wish you could come with me, old friend, but I need you here to work the Door."

Working out the coordinates from his last call, Gurkinn punched them into the Door controls and activated it. "Hold on, my friends. I'm coming."

* * *

When Tristan woke up, he found himself all alone in complete darkness. Slowly he got to his feet, quickly noticing that he had demorphed, and looked around.

"Hello?" he called out, his voice echoing in the dark. "Rafi? Marianne? Anybody? Where are you?"

Behind him, a cloud of purple mist erupted from the ground and billowed out around his feet. "What is this stuff?"

Suddenly he heard a loud scuttling noise all around him. Spinning around, he spotted movement in the mist. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

" _Nincada!_ "

Tristan froze at that crackled voice. "Oh no... it can't be..."

As the mist faded away, he gasped in horror. The floor was alive with hundreds of Nincada!

"AAARRRGGHH!" Tristan cried, jumping back.

The Nincada started to crawl towards him. Quickly, Tristan kicked out, knocking several Nincada away. Some of them jumped onto him and started scratching him. One by one, he brushed them aside.

Then as if put off by the attacks, the Nincada crawled away into the darkness.

"Yeah, that's right!" Tristan shouted. "Run back into the shadows! Is that the best you can do?"

At that moment, a deep buzzing noise started up behind him and he whirled around to see a massive Shedinja looming over him. His heart stopped in his chest and his legs felt like they were set in concrete.

As he watched, the Shedinja split apart with a deafening crack and a monstrous Ninjask burst out of the shell, screeching loudly.

Tristan fell back in shock, his hand reaching for his Morpher only to discover that it wasn't there. "Oh, crap!" he cried.

Giving a loud ear-piercing cry, the Ninjask swooped down towards him, its claws bared...

* * *

The moment he woke up, Rafi sat up and found himself in darkness. After quickly feeling that his glasses were still on his face, he got to his feet.

"Where am I?" he asked himself. "Guys? Are you there?"

As he started to walk forward, purple mist rose up and started to form a shape.

"Hello?" Rafi called. "Is anyone there?"

"Raphael!" came a gentle voice behind him, a voice that he hadn't heard in over eleven years.

Rafi whirled around and gasped as he saw a young red-headed woman standing before him. "M-Mom?"

"I missed you so much, Raphael," his mother called out.

"But it can't be," Rafi stammered, stepping closer. "You died a long time ago."

"Why do you say that?" she asked. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Rafi was about to argue when he saw a cloud of mist rising up behind her. "Mom, look out!"

As she turned around, a black skeletal creature burst out of the cloud and pounced on her, bringing her down as she gave a terrible scream.

"NOOO!" Rafi screamed, running towards her. But he was too late. His mother and the creature had disappeared in the mist.

Hearing a growl behind him, he turned and saw another black creature stalking towards him.

Quickly, Rafi reached for his Morpher, only to find that it was gone.

"No!" he cried again as the creature pounced at him...

* * *

As Electra came to, she found herself in complete darkness. Instantly, she started to panic as she got to her feet.

"H-Hello?" she called out in fear. "Can anyone hear me?"

Slowly she made her way through the dark, her hands trying to feel around for something. But the area seemed to go on forever.

As she went further, her hands started to shake and her breath came out in short gasps.

Then, at last, she felt a wall in front of her. Feeling along it, she soon discovered a light switch. "Oh, thank Arceus," she sighed, as she flicked the switch.

But no lights came on.

"What? No!" Electra started flicking the switch on and off, but still, nothing happened. "Come on, come on, come on!"

As she went on flicking, she didn't notice the cloud of purple mist rising up behind her. Two bright red eyes formed in the centre of the cloud and a huge black mouth appeared, laughing nastily.

Electra spun around and gasped as she saw the cloud. "What are you?"

The cloud didn't respond, it just laughed again.

"You're going down!" he yelled, pouncing on the cloud.

Before she could grab it, the cloud disappeared into the shadows and she crashed to the floor.

As she got up, she heard the laughter behind her and she whirled around to punch it, but the fist just struck empty air. Again, she heard the laughter and again she tried to hit it but to no avail.

"Hold still!" she yelled, running into the darkness. But she tripped on something in the dark and crashed to the floor again. As she sat up, she saw the cloud looming over her.

"Gotta fight back!" she grunted, reaching for her Morpher. But it wasn't on her wrist. "What? Did I lose it in the dark?"

Before she could do anything else, the cloud gave another deep laugh, opened its mouth and engulfed Electra into pitch darkness...

* * *

Unlike the other Rangers, Quinn didn't wake up in complete darkness. Instead, he found himself in the middle of a forest clearing. Sitting up, he looked around and saw no sign of his friends.

"Huh, how did I end up here?" he muttered, getting to his feet. "Well, maybe the others are around here somewhere."

As he started to walk forward, he found that he felt ungainly on his feet. Suddenly he slipped and fell flat on his face next to a small puddle. As he pushed himself up, he looked down at his hands and gasped. His hands were green and had three fingers! "What the hell...?"

Carefully, he approached the puddle, peered down and gave a shocked cry. Instead of his normal face, the face of a Treecko stared back at him. "Oh my Arceus, what's happened to me?"

Suddenly, he heard a rustling noise behind him and he turned around to see three figures stepping out of the bushes. Each of the men wore gray uniforms with a big yellow 'G' in the middle and their faces were obscured by purple mist.

"Team Galactic!" Quinn gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"There's another Pokémon!" called one figure in a distorted voice. "It looks perfect for our research."

"Yes," said the second figure. "Cyrus will be most pleased with this little acquisition."

"Let's grab it and take it back to base," said the last one, bringing out a small cage.

"No!" Quinn yelled, realizing that they were talking about him. "Don't take me! I'm not a Pokémon!"

But the figures ignored him as they pounced on him.

Quickly Quinn jumped out of their grasp and tried to run for it, but he wasn't used to being in a Pokémon body. One of the figures loomed up in front of him and he tried to run another way, but the second figure popped up out of the bushes. Desperately, he turned back the way he'd come, but then he realized that they were just herding him towards the cage. By then it was too late. The last man grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up. "Gotcha!"

"Let me go!" Quinn yelled, flailing his arms and legs around. "I'm telling you, I'm not a Pokémon! I'm a Ranger!"

"He's a fighter, isn't he?" one man chuckled. "Good, that's just what our team needs."

The next thing Quinn knew, he was thrown into the cage and the men shut it over him...

* * *

The first thing Marianne felt as she woke up was the terrible heat. Slowly she opened her eyes and found herself in the middle of a vast desert.

"What?" she asked, getting to her feet. "Wasn't I in a forest before?"

Looking around, she couldn't find any sign of the others. "They must be around here somewhere," she assumed, setting off into the desert. "I'd better find them."

As she walked, the sun beat down cruelly on her. Soon her body was shiny with sweat and her feet were red from walking on the hot sand.

"Water..." she panted. "Have to... find water..."

Then she spotted some trees over the next dune and a pool of water glittering in the sun.

"Yes! An oasis!" she cheered, picking up speed. "Maybe the others are there too."

But as she got closer, the oasis started to shimmer and then faded from view.

"Dammit," she cried, coming to a stop. "It's just a mirage." Then an idea came to her. "Wait a minute, maybe I should call out Blastoise. He always cooled me down when I was hot."

She reached down for her Poké Balls, only to feel nothing on her belt. "Oh no! My Poké Balls are gone!" She sank to her knees and started to cry. "No water, no food, no Pokémon... I'm never gonna make it out of here."

As she lamented, a thin purple mist began to swirl around her feet.

Then Marianne shook her head, stood up and wiped the sweat from her brow. "I can't give up now. There must be a way out this desert."

But as she made to move on, she suddenly felt a strong force gripping her legs. When she looked down, she gasped in horror. She was being sucked down into the sand! "Oh no! Quicksand!"

Desperately she tried to pull herself out of the quicksand, but the more she struggled, the deeper she sank. "Help me, somebody! Anybody! HELP!"

* * *

"Look at those Knights squirm!" Yvestros cheered, watching the images of their dreams on his monitor. "And their nightmares, such powerful thoughts indeed."

"Just think, my Lord," Mothitelle purred. "With Sharnalax's powers, we can conquer all of Kalos while they sleep."

 _Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Beep-beep!_

"Knight of Order activity sighted!" Sharphound announced.

"How can that be?" Yvestros demanded. "We've trapped all of the Knights in their dreams."

"Not all of them." Sharphound pointed to an image of Gurkinn emerging from the forest near Route 7. "It's the Fighting Knight, the leader. He must have come to help them."

"Oh, that naive fool," Yvestros chuckled. "He's playing right into our hands..."

* * *

Gurkinn soon reached the bridge and was shocked to discover the Knights lying on the ground, each of them tossing and turning in their sleep, their bodies covered in purple mist.

"Guys!" he gasped, running to their sides. "Tristan? Rafi? Electra? Quinn? Marianne? Wake up! Say something!"

Tristan swung his arms out. "Stay away from me!" he muttered in his sleep. "Stop the screeching!"

"Don't hurt my mother!" Rafi gasped. "Bring her back!"

"So dark..." Electra panted. "Can't see a thing... get me out of here..."

"Not a Pokémon..." Quinn grunted. "Let me go..."

"I'm sinking!" Marianne cried. "Help me, please..."

"What's wrong with them?" Gurkinn asked. "Guys, wake up!"

"They can't hear you," came a deep voice. "They're trapped in an everlasting nightmare, but not for long."

Gurkinn whirled round and saw a purple Snorlax monster with a Musharna head stomping into view. "Who are you, and what did you do to them?"

"I am Sharnalax," the Poké-Mutant replied. "And thanks to my mist, your friends have been forced to live their darkest dreams. Soon their spirits will be utterly broken and I will use my Dream Eater to devour their life force, reducing them to nothing but empty husks."

"I won't let that happen!" Gurkinn raised his Morpher and pressed the button. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The glowing fist of Fighting burst out of his Morpher and crashed onto his body, creating his armor.

"Claw Blades, engage!" Gurkinn shouted, summoning his weapons.

"Come and get me, Fighting Knight!" Sharnalax goaded. "I'm a lot tougher than you think!"

Gurkinn charged forward and swung his blades out, but Sharnalax's skin didn't even get scratched. Sharnalax then raised her leg and threw it forward, kicking Gurkinn in the chest and sending him flying back. He landed on his feet and ran in again, holding his blades in front of him. As Sharnalax swung her fist out, he jumped over it, ran up her arm and raised his blades up, ready to pierce her face.

Sharnalax rolled to one side, landing on her back, and Gurkinn stumbled in mid air, bouncing off her stomach and crashing next to the sleeping Knights.

"A brave effort, Knight of Order," Sharnalax chuckled, getting to her feet. "But now you must be weary of fighting me. Time for a nap!"

With that, she took in a deep breath and gave out a powerful Yawn that shook through Gurkinn's body. Suddenly, he started to feel very sleepy. "No... must... stay awake..."

"It's useless to resist," Sharnalax laughed. "Soon you will all be consumed, and Kalos shall belong to Lord Yvestros!"

Her laughter rang loudly in Gurkinn's ears as he felt himself losing consciousness...

* * *

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Yes, this is going to be another two parter. Will Gurkinn be able to stay awake long enough to save his friends? Or will he become Sharnalax's latest victim? Stay tuned to find out.**

 **See you then**


	10. Knightmare on Route 7, Part Two

_Previously on Poké_ _Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _During their stay in Camphrier Town, the Knights got a rude awakening when a Snorlax came to the bridge on Route 7. Seeing an opportunity for conquest, Yvestros captured the Snorlax and had Sabelteur transform it into Sharnalax, a monster that can trap her victims in a world of nightmares. When the Knights came to the bridge, Sharnalax proved too tough for them and soon they were put to sleep and enslaved in their respective nightmares. Gurkinn, unable to contact them, came out to rescue them, only to get beaten up by Sharnalax and caught in her Yawn..._

* * *

Chapter 9: Knightmare on Route 7, Part Two

Struggling to stay awake a little longer, Gurkinn forced his hand up and pressed the communicator button on his Morpher. "Lucario... I'm in trouble... Activate the... emergency team recall protocols... on the Transportation Door..."

" _Lucario, lucar, lucar!_ " Lucario shouted.

"I know we... haven't tested it yet," Gurkinn yawned. "But it's... our... only... chance..."

"I don't know what you're up to, Knight," Sharnalax shouted. "But it's already too late. Now it's time to put you into a nightmare from which you can never wake from!"

As Gurkinn's vision began to fade, he saw Sharnalax grabbing a handful of mist from the cloud that surrounded her. Then he felt himself falling into nothing...

* * *

" _Lucario! Lucario!_ "

Hearing his partner's voice, Gurkinn slowly opened his eyes. He found himself lying on the floor of the Knights' Base, Lucario standing over him with a look of concern.

Carefully, Gurkinn got to his feet and looked around. "Lucario, I need you to do something for me. Use Force Palm on me and don't hold back."

" _Lucar?_ " Lucario asked.

"I just want to be sure that this isn't Sharnalax's dream," Gurkinn explained. "So go ahead, strike me."

Lucario hesitated for a second then he raised his paw and smacked Gurkinn in the chest, sending him flying back against one of the PokeZords' garages.

"Ow!" Gurkinn grunted, peeling himself off the door. "Alright, that proves it. I'm not dreaming."

" _Lucar, lucar!_ " Lucario cried, running to his side.

"It's okay, old friend," Gurkinn reassured him. "My armor protected me from harm. And thanks to your quick actions, I was spared the terrible fate that befell my friends."

He walked over to the other Knights who were still asleep and still covered in purple mist. "Whatever Sharnalax has done to them, we have to free them. Otherwise our whole mission will be for nothing."

" _Lucario?_ " asked Lucario.

"I don't know how," Gurkinn admitted. "But I think we're gonna need some help." He picked up his HoloCaster and dialled a number.

After a few rings, the screen lit up and Clemont appeared. "Yes, hello?"

"Clemont, this is Gurkinn. I need your help. Are you alone?"

"Not really," Clemont admitted. "I have a visitor at the moment and she's rather anxious for a battle with me."

"Who are you talking to?" came a female voice offscreen.

"Just a friend," Clemont called.

"Which friend?" the voice asked again, as its owner came into view.

Gurkinn gasped as he saw who it was. "Clemont, bring her along too!"

* * *

"Damn them all!" Yvestros snapped, slamming his fist on the armrest of his throne. "We were so close to defeating the Knights once and for all!"

"Forgive me, my Lord," said Sharnalax, bowing her head in shame on the screen. "I have failed you."

"It hardly matters anyway," said Sabelteur, having woken up from his nap. "The Knights are still trapped in their nightmares, and nothing their leader can do will wake them up!"

"And with them out of the way, we can still conquer Kalos," Sharphound went on.

"That's brilliant thinking," Yvestros agreed. "Sharnalax, head into Camphrier Town and put all of their citizens to sleep. Then we can take their life force and use it to create an army that will overrun the region!"

"At once, my Lord," Sharnalax replied.

* * *

Gurkinn watched as Clemont stepped out of the Transportation Door, followed by a young brown-haired woman wearing a pretty white dress with wings on the shoulders and a small gold necklace that had a glowing stone set in it. Behind her came a Gardevoir that also wore a necklace with a stone in it.

"Hello, Gurkinn," the woman said with a warm smile. "It's been a long time, huh?"

"It certainly has, Diantha," Gurkinn replied, shaking her hand. "So good to see you again."

"You too," Diantha chuckled. "So Clemont tells me that you're responsible for the reappearance of the Knights of Order?"

"Yes, I am. And right now, I need your help to save them."

Gurkinn led Clemont and Diantha to the row of beds where Tristan, Rafi, Marianne, Quinn, and Electra lay tossing and turning in their restless sleep.

"Oh no!" Clemont gasped. "What's happened to them?"

"They've been put under a spell by one of Yvestros' monsters," Gurkinn explained. "Now they're trapped in terrible nightmares."

"So why did you call me here?" Diantha asked.

"I thought that perhaps your Gardevoir could help me save them," Gurkinn replied. "With her psychic attacks, she could remove the mist that surrounds my friends and seal it away until it fades."

"That would be quite difficult." Clemont examined the Knights with a scanner from his backpack. "For the attack to work, the Knights would need to be awake or at least semi-conscious, otherwise the attack could severely damage their minds."

"But how?" Diantha asked. "We don't have anything that could rouse them from their nightmares."

"Wait a minute," Gurkinn cried. "Before they were knocked out, Tristan mentioned something about them trying to wake up a Snorlax. And the only way they could do that is..." He patted Tristan's pocket then reached in and pulled out the Poké Flute. "With this!"

"Yes, the Poké Flute!" Clemont cheered. "It can wake anybody from their sleep!"

"Then this is our only chance," Gurkinn said. "Meanwhile, Clemont, I want you to work your science magic. You'll need to boost the power of their Blasters and make their helmets impervious to Sharnalax's Yawn."

"The helmets can come off?" Clemont asked.

"Yes, they can." Gurkinn grabbed his own helmet, gently twisted it to one side and then took it off. "Now you do the same to the others."

As Clemont went to do his part, Gurkinn picked up the Poké Flute. "You ready, Diantha?"

"Do it!" Diantha replied.

" _Gardevoir,_ " said her partner.

With that, Gurkinn placed the Poké Flute to his lips and began to play...

* * *

Tristan pulled and strained as hard as he could, but trapped in the legs of the monstrous Ninjask, he was barely able to move. "Get off of me!" he yelled.

The Ninjask gave another horrible screech and raised its claws, ready to slice Tristan up...

Just then, there came a soft whistling melody that drowned out the Ninjask's cries. Tristan opened his eyes and watched as the Ninjask released its grip and floated up into the air, mesmerised by the haunting melody. Then a bright light shone out over the Ninjask, causing it to burst into a cloud of mist and disappear.

"Whoa," Tristan breathed, getting to his feet. He looked round and saw the light was coming from a doorway. "I guess I'd better follow the light."

He stepped up to the door and walked into the brightness...

* * *

Rafi pushed the black creature off him and tried to run for it, but the creature was already on him and it pounced on him, pinning him to the floor and knocking his glasses off his face.

"Leave me alone!" Rafi shouted, trying to get back up.

The creature snarled nastily as it bared its teeth...

Suddenly, a gentle tune caused the creature to look round, just as a beam of light shot out and struck it, evaporating it in the blink of an eye.

Getting up on his hands and knees, Rafi felt around on the floor until he found his glasses. Putting them on, he turned and saw a glowing door standing in the darkness.

"Go towards the light, Raphael," his mother's voice called out. "It will guide you to safety."

"Will I ever see you again, Mom?" Rafi asked.

"I'm afraid not, my son," she replied sadly. "But I'll always be with you, as long as you never forget me."

Wiping a tear from his eye, Rafi turned and walked into the door...

* * *

Electra screamed as she flailed around, trying to escape the cloud that held her. But she was unable to break free.

"Get me out of here!" she yelled. "I can't stand the darkness!"

The cloud gave a nasty laugh. But then a soothing tune cut over the laughter and a bright light pierced through the darkness, stabbing through the cloud and making it pop.

Electra crashed to the floor then got up and looked around, seeing the light shining through a door in the wall by the switch.

"Phew, thank Arceus for that," she sighed. "Time to get out of this nightmare."

With that, she ran through the door...

* * *

Quinn bashed into the cage again and again, but the bars showed no sign of giving. The Galactic agents watched him with mild amusement. "My, my," one agent laughed. "That Treecko sure is persistent, isn't he?"

"I've told you before, I'm not a Treecko!" Quinn yelled. "I'm a human. Now let me go!"

But the agents still didn't understand him. "Come on," said the second agent. "We've had our fun. Now let's put him with the rest."

"No!" Quinn gasped as the men approached the cage.

At that moment, a soft gentle melody started to play from out of the trees. The agents whirled around in confusion. "What's that?" the third man asked.

In response, the clouds parted and a huge beam of light shone down over the clearing. The three agents gave screams of agony as the light hit them and then they burst into little clouds of mist.

Before Quinn could say a word, the cage around him faded away and he stood up, his body tingling with the light. He then looked down and saw that he was back in his original body. "Phew, thank goodness."

He looked up and saw a doorway appearing in the trunk of a tree. "I hope this is the way out of this place. Only one way to be sure."

He walked up to the tree and stepped through the door...

* * *

Marianne tried to pull herself free, but the quicksand was now up to her neck and it was getting harder to breathe. "Help!" she called out again. "Someone, get me out of here!"

At that moment, she heard a gentle melody playing and then a beam of light shone down on her. Suddenly, the sand started to trickle away from her until she could stand up and walk away.

Looking around, Marianne saw a doorway standing in the same spot that the oasis was moments ago. "Something tells me that this isn't a mirage. Time to leave this awful place."

So saying, she ran through the door...

* * *

As Gurkinn kept playing the Poké Flute, Diantha watched at the amazing effect it had on the Knights. One by one, they stopped tossing and turning and were settling into a peaceful sleep. As they did, the mist started to twist around and sweep off their bodies like someone had pulled a blanket off them.

"It's working!" she gasped.

The five clouds of mist rose up into the air and curled around each other, forming into a larger cloud that hovered overhead.

"Gardevoir, Psychic!" Diantha ordered.

Focusing her power, Gardevoir's eyes began to glow. A large blue light formed around the purple cloud, making it freeze in midair. The cloud strained and struggled like a Gastly in pain as it slowly flickered and then faded away.

"Gurkinn, we did it!" Diantha cheered.

Lowering the Flute, Gurkinn nodded and smiled. "Let's hope it was enough."

* * *

Back at Camphrier Town, the residents were going about their business for the day. Some of the visitors were sitting outside the cafe, enjoying their drinks and light snacks. Others were walking around the streets, embracing the history of the little town.

Suddenly, the ground started to shake as something large stomped towards the town. Cups of coffee jumped an inch in the air, their contents rippling. The people turned and saw a purple Snorlax with a Musharna head lumbering down the road. With screams of terror, they started to run. Some ran to the Pokémon Center, some ran towards Shabboneau Castle and others just hid behind the fountain.

"That's right, try to run," the monster chuckled. "But you can never hide from Sharnalax!" With that, she let out a loud Yawn that swept through the town.

Some of the people were too far to get affected, but the unlucky ones soon fell to the ground, fast asleep.

"Time to feast on your dreams!" Sharnalax grabbed handfuls of mist and threw it out, covering the sleeping people...

* * *

Within a few minutes, Tristan was the first to awaken. Letting out a groan, he sat up and opened his eyes, blinking at the light.

"Tristan, you're awake!" Gurkinn cried, running to his side. "How do you feel?"

"Awful," Tristan croaked. "And a little bit thirsty."

"I'll get you some water," Gurkinn said, running out of the Base.

By the time he returned with five cups of water, the other Knights were also waking up. Gurkinn handed them each a cup and they took careful sips, except for Marianne who drank greedily and then asked for another.

"You should go slowly with your drink," Gurkinn warned. "You might choke on it."

"I was trapped in a desert in my dream," Marianne replied. "You can't blame me for feeling parched."

"It can't be worse than having millions of Nincada crawling all over you," Tristan argued.

"Or being in a dark room with a nasty laughing cloud," Electra added.

"Or getting turned into a Treecko and thrown in a cage," Quinn went on. "What was your dream, Rafi?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," Rafi muttered.

"Are we back at base?" Tristan realised. "How did we get here?"

"Lucario and I managed to pull you away from Sharnalax," Gurkinn replied, coming up with another cup for Marianne. "And lucky I did. Another few minutes in there, and your spirits would have been completely broken and Sharnalax would have had your life force as a midnight snack."

Tristan then spotted a young woman and a Gardevoir standing by the screen, next to a young blonde boy who was working on their Blasters. "Hey, who are those guys?"

"That would be Diantha, the Champion of Kalos," Gurkinn replied, pointing her out. "She and her Gardevoir helped me to free you from Sharnalax's mist. And the young man is Clemont, the Gym Leader of Lumiose City. He's the one who built this Base, the Morphers and the PokéZords."

Diantha turned and saw the Knights. "Oh, you're awake!" she beamed, walking over to them. "Under better circumstances, it would be nice to see you. I am Diantha."

"Uh, hi," Tristan said. "My name's-"

"Oh I already know your names," Diantha interrupted. "Gurkinn told me everything about you and your fight against Yvestros. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else."

"Clemont, are you nearly done there?" Gurkinn called.

"The Blasters are done, and I'm nearly done with the helmets," Clemont replied. "Just give me a couple more minutes."

"I didn't know our helmets could come off," Electra said.

"What is he up to?" Marianne asked.

"He's increased the power of your Blasters to get through Sharnalax's Harden," Gurkinn explained. "And he's adding a special feature in your helmets that should neutralise the effects of her Yawn."

"You want us to go back out there?" Rafi cried.

"Of course," Gurkinn replied. "Right now, Sharnalax has arrived at Camphrier Town and has already started her attack."

"And what chance do we have against her?" Tristan cried. "She's much stronger than all the other monsters we've faced before. If we fight her, she'll put us back in our nightmares again. I don't think we're cut out for this anymore."

"Now that's no way to talk!" Diantha snapped, folding her arms.

The Knights were stunned by her sudden change of mood. "Huh?" Tristan asked.

"The way Gurkinn talked about you, I assumed you were great heroes," Diantha went on. "But you're just gonna quit when things get tough?"

"In case you didn't realize, we just got our butts kicked by that monster," Marianne argued.

"So kick it back!" Diantha stood in front of their beds. "Think of this fight as a proper Pokémon battle. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose But when you do lose, that's when you train yourself harder to do better next time. If everyone just quit after they've failed over and over again, there would never be any Champions in the world. I never won the Pokemon League on my first go, or the next go, or the one after that. The only reason I won was that I kept training myself and my Pokemon hard enough to get that far. Likewise, you need to get back on your feet and battle the monster again because, this time, I'm sure you can beat her!"

For a few moments, the Knights were silent, swapping looks with each other as they mulled over Diantha's words. Then Tristan smiled and jumped off his bed. "You're right, Diantha. I think I speak for all of us when I say, we're not gonna quit now. As soon as Clemont is ready, we're gonna face Sharnalax again and finish her off!"

"I've just finished your helmets now," Clemont announced. "You're all set to go."

Tristan snatched up his helmet and put it back on. "Then let's end this nightmare, once and for all!"

* * *

Soon most of the town was fast asleep. Some of the people were already writhing in their sleep, trapped in the nightmares caused by the mist. Sharnalax approached one man and drew in her breath, sucking up the purple mist like foggy spaghetti. "Mmm, such delicious dreams," she murmured. "I'm going to make such a wonderful meal of all these people's fears..."

"Then it looks like you should go on a diet!"

Sharnalax turned around and saw the five Knights of Order standing in the street, Elemental Blasters at the ready.

"You again!" she bellowed. "How did you escape from my Nightmare mist?"

"We had a very good alarm clock," Tristan replied.

"And now that we're well rested, we have enough energy to take you on!" Electra snapped.

"Then I guess I'd better wear you down again," Sharnalax scowled. "Come at me!"

Tristan and Quinn charged in, jumped on Sharnalax's belly and delivered a double punch to her face. As she swung her arm out, the two Knights leapt back, avoiding the blow.

"Catch me if you can!" Electra yelled, running towards Sharnalax.

The Poké-Mutant tried to grab her, but her tremendous bulk made it hard to move fast. Dodging a swing, Electra kicked at Sharnalax's foot, making her stumble. Marianne and Rafi then shoved her over, making her fall on her face.

"Enough of this!" Sharnalax snapped, getting to her feet. "It's time I put you to bed, PERMANENTLY!" She took in her deepest breath and let out a very loud Yawn.

Just before the Yawn hit, Tristan suddenly felt all sound getting cut out. It lasted for a few seconds and then it was normal again. Looking round, he saw his friends were still standing too.

"What...?" Sharnalax gasped. "You were supposed to fall asleep!"

"Like we said, we weren't feeling tired," Quinn retorted.

"Now let's finish her off!" Marianne cried, raising her Blaster.

"Your guns will never penetrate my Hardened skin!" Sharnalax snapped, her body shimmering once again.

Undaunted, Rafi lifted his gun and fired a shot at her. As the Air Cutter struck her, there was a loud shattering noise and Sharnalax gave a painful cry. "Noooo! Impossible!"

"Give it all you've got, guys!" Tristan yelled, firing his gun too.

Quinn, Electra and Marianne also opened fire. Bit by bit, the Harden shell was broken down until at last, they landed a hit on Sharnalax, hurting her badly.

"Guys, I've added an extra little feature in your Blasters," Clemont called through their communicators. "When fired together, it should give them a powerful boost to finish Sharnalax off. Just press the little button on the handle."

"Let's give it a try." Tristan held his button down and felt the power surging through his Blaster. "Overheat!"

"Aeroblast!"

"Water Spout!"

"Solar Beam!"

"Zap Cannon!"

The Rangers pulled the triggers and five powerful elemental beams shot out of the Blasters, fusing together to create a huge surge of energy.

"Ultimate Elemental Blast!" the Knights yelled.

The energy beam struck Sharnalax fully in the face and she let out a scream louder than her Yawns as she fell to the ground and exploded.

All around the city, the purple mist pulled away from the people and faded into thin air. Everyone began to wake up and look around in confusion.

* * *

"NOOOOO!" Yvestros bellowed. "This cannot be!"

"I'm on it, my Lord!" Mothitelle cried, fading away.

* * *

"Well, that's the end of that ordeal," Tristan sighed.

"Do you really think so?" Mothitelle suddenly appeared in the air over Sharnalax's remains. "I'm afraid that this nightmare is only just beginning. Power Spore!"

Mothitelle flapped her wings hard and scattered her spores over Sharnalax, making her stand up as she grew bigger and bigger.

The people who were awake screamed in terror and ran into the buildings.

"Just when we were ready to rest," Tristan grumbled, pressing the Morpher's summon button. "Release the PokéZords!"

* * *

At the Ranger's Base, Clemont and Diantha gasped in amazement as the PokéZords switched on and stomped out of their garages.

"Incredible!" Diantha cried.

"Just look at them!" Clemont breathed, elated tears running down his cheeks. "My beautiful creations going into battle!"

With a smile, Gurkinn activated the Transportation Door and stepped back, letting the PokéZords charge through to their owners.

* * *

As the PokéZords emerged from the Door, they shot out a beam of light, transporting their respective Rangers into their cockpits.

"Ready for battle!" Tristan cried.

"You think those toys will be enough to stop me?" Sharnalax laughed. "Well, I have a few tricks up my sleeve too." So saying, she stuck her hands in the mist and swept them out, sending the cloud out.

As the Knights watched, four figures emerged from the cloud; a giant Ninjask, a black skeletal creature, a cloud with glowing eyes and a Team Galactic agent with an obscured face.

"Oh no!" Tristan gasped. "It's our nightmares come to life!"

"That's right," Sharnalax taunted. "Since they can't destroy you in your dreams, they can take you down in the real world!"

"Wait a minute," Marianne said. "Where's my dream?" At that moment, she suddenly felt her Blastoise Zord starting to sink. "I had to ask, didn't I?"

"Hang on, Marianne," Rafi called. "I'm on my way!"

The Pidgeot Zord took to the air and flew towards the sinking Blastoise Zord. Just as it opened its claws, the Ninjask flew up between them and swung its claws out, striking the Pidgeot Zord.

"Hey, leave him alone!" Electra yelled, hitting some buttons on her panel. "Thunderbolt!"

The horns on the Ampharos Zord started to glow then it fired a bolt of lightning out of the jewel on its head, striking the Ninjask and blasting it into dust.

"Thanks, Electra!" Rafi called, flying over to pull the Blastoise Zord out of the quicksand.

Before Electra could reply, the cloud floated over to her, laughing menacingly, and consumed her. "No, get off me!" she screamed.

"I'm coming, Electra!" Tristan yelled, bringing his Zord over to grab the Ampharos Zord's tail and pulling as hard as he could. "This cloud is tougher than I thought!"

"Let me help!" Rafi flew his Zord over and pressed some buttons. "Whirlwind!"

The Pidgeot Zord began to flap its wings hard, creating a powerful gust of wind that blew the cloud away, freeing Electra.

Quinn meanwhile was struggling with the black creature, holding its claws away from the Sceptile Zord's face. Then the agent grabbed him from behind, pulling him back. "I could use some help here, guys!"

"On our way, Quinn!" Tristan shouted.

As he brought his Zord forward, Sharnalax charged in front of him, blocking the way. "Don't think so, Fire Knight!"

"Rock Smash!" Tristan swung the Zord's fist out, striking Sharnalax in the face. With a scowl, she threw herself forward, slamming the Blaziken Zord with her belly.

"Stay back!" Marianne yelled, bringing her Zord forward. "Skull Bash!"

Lowering its head, the Blastoise Zord charged in, bashing Sharnalax back. While she was distracted, Rafi and Electra brought their Zords over to Quinn.

"Sky Drop!" Rafi's Zord flew overhead, snatching the agent away and flinging it into the lake, taking it out. Then Electra got her Zord to pull the creature off Quinn who defeated it with a swing of his Zord's tail.

"It's time to end this battle!" Tristan slammed his hand on the red button, knowing the others were doing the same. "Megazord of Justice transformation, activate!"

Each PokéZord flashed white as the command was issued. First, the Blaziken Zord jumped into the air, its arms folding back into its body. At the same time, the Blastoise Zord withdrew its head and limbs into its shell, which opened up on the front and fused over the Blaziken Zord's body, creating the main torso.

Next, the Sceptile and Ampharos Zords lay down on their stomachs and folded in their limbs and tails as they straightened up, the heads resting on their chests. The bottom half joined onto the main torso, forming the legs.

Then, the Pidgeot Zord took to the air, its head and tail folding into its body which then split in half. Each half then joined to either side of the torso upside down, so that the legs formed the arms, while the wings folded over the front of the torso. The completed MegaZord landed on the ground, the Blaziken's beak opening up to reveal a more humanoid face.

"Megazord of Justice, ready!" the Knights yelled in the main cockpit as the robot raised its arms.

Sharnalax stomped over and swung her fist out, striking the Megazord and sending it stumbling back.

"Air Cutter!" Rafi yelled, pushing his joystick out.

The Megazord raised its arms and swung them down, bashing Sharnalax in the chest.

"Mega Sword, engage!" Tristan yelled.

The MegaZord held out its hands as the sword appeared.

"Say goodnight, Sharnalax!" Tristan cried, throwing his stick out. "Order Slash!"

The sword began to glow and the Megazord swung it out, slicing through Sharnalax. With a painful scream, she fell to the ground and exploded once again.

"And don't let the Nincada bite," Marianne finished triumphantly.

* * *

"A thousand curses on those Knights of Order!" Yvestros yelled. "Why can't they just lie down and die?!"

"Do not fret, my Lord," Mothitelle cut in. "We still have time to prepare our backup plan." With that, she held up the Dragon medallion. "Remember?"

Yvestros nodded, rubbing his head slightly. "Can you tell me later? I have a very bad headache at the moment."

* * *

"Well, I guess we'd better head back to Lumiose City," Diantha decided. "We've got a battle to do, right, Clemont?"

"Right," Clemont agreed. "I'll go prepare the Transportation Door."

As Clemont went to the Door controls, Gurkinn approached Diantha. "Thank you again for all your help. Saving my friends from their nightmares was one thing, but rallying them together was truly spectacular."

"I just hate to see such hopeful trainers throw away their lives like that," Diantha replied. "Are they taking on the Pokémon League soon?"

"Some of them are," Gurkinn said. "Quinn's a Pokémon Ranger. Tristan and Rafi each have one badge, while Electra and Marianne already have five."

"Yeah, they battled me a few days before Yvestros' first invasion," Clemont recalled. "Anyway, the Door's ready for us."

"Take care of those guys," Diantha said, shaking Gurkinn's hand. "And tell them that I look forward to battling them."

" _Gardevoir,_ " said Gardevoir.

"Will do," Gurkinn replied.

" _Lucario,_ " said Lucario.

With that, Diantha, Gardevoir and Clemont stepped through the door and disappeared.

Gurkinn turned to look at the screen, seeing the Knights coming out of Shabboneau Castle, having returned the Poké Flute. "Whatever happens, my friends, I know you will stay strong together..."

* * *

 **And we're finished here. There's no preview for the next chapter, but I will say that it will take place at the Battle Chateau and will feature the appearance of a few new faces for the series.**

 **Anyway, as usual, I'm still open for cool monster suggestions. And also, thank you so much for your reviews, they really help.**

 **See you next time**


	11. Showdown at the Chateau

_Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _With the Knights of Order trapped in a nightmare by Sharnalax, Gurkinn managed to evacuate them back to the Knights' Base. Calling Clemont for help, he gained the added bonus of Diantha, Champion of Kalos. Thanks to the Poké Flute and Diantha's Gardevoir, Gurkinn was able to free the Knights from their dreams. Kitted up with special upgrades by Clemont, the Knights battled Sharnalax again, destroying her first with the Elemental Blasters and then with the Megazord of Justice..._

* * *

Chapter 10: Showdown at the Chateau

A new day had dawned over the Kalos Region, and Tristan, Rafi, Marianne, Quinn and Electra were on the road once again, heading towards Cyllage City. At their feet, Torchic and Lucky were playing catch with Pikachu, Roselia and Floette, while Grovyle and Leafeon stayed by Quinn's side. In the skies above, a small flock of Vivillion fluttered down towards the flower fields, and Duckletts paddled around in the river.

Just then, Tristan looked up and saw a large stone mansion built over the river. "Whoa, what is that place?"

Marianne smiled as she saw it too. "That is the Battle Chateau."

"Let's go in!" Electra cried, her eyes lighting up. "I haven't been inside for weeks!"

"You've been here before?" Rafi asked.

"Yeah," Electra replied. "It's a great place to hang out. All sorts of trainers come here to battle each other and earn new ranks."

"Ranks?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah, every time you win a certain amount of battles, you gain a new rank," Marianne explained. "Every trainer that comes starts as a Baron or Baroness, and as they battle and defeat new trainers, their ranks go up to Viscount/Viscountess, then Earl/Countess, Marquis/Marchioness, and Duke/Duchess."

"And if you manage to battle enough trainers that visit the Chateau," Electra finished, "you could be able to reach the ultimate title of Grand Duke or Grand Duchess."

"Sounds kind of tough on the Pokémon," Quinn muttered. "Is all that battling really necessary?"

"What?" Tristan scoffed. "That's the kind of talk that those Team Plasma nutters went about in Unova."

Quinn looked like he was about to argue, but Rafi interrupted him. "Well, come on. Let's check the place out!"

" _Minccino!_ " cried Lucky.

"Yeah, why not?" Tristan agreed. "It could be fun!"

With that, the Knights set off towards the Chateau. As they ran, they didn't notice a Spydove flying overhead...

* * *

Yvestros watched on the screen as the Spydove moved its attention from the Knights to the Battle Chateau. "According to the two female Knights, a number of strong trainers come to this Battle Chateau. What are the chances of finding someone worthy for our plan?"

"We just need to know who the strongest trainer is and which Pokémon they use," Mothitelle replied. "Remember the type of Pokémon the original Dragon Knight used?"

"I do," Yvestros replied. "In the meantime, we need a diversion to prevent the Knights of Order from discovering our true plans."

Sabelteur raised his hand. "How about another monster, my Lord? One that can attack from the river, perhaps?"

"Good idea," Yvestros replied. "Then while the Knights are busy dealing with the monster, Sharphound shall sneak into the Chateau and gain the info we need. Everyone, get to it!"

* * *

The Knights passed through the doors of the Chateau and entered a pristine room. Paintings of old lords and ancient swords hung from the marble walls and the parquet floors were so clean that they could see their own reflections.

"Whoa!" Tristan breathed. "This is amazing!"

" _Torchic!_ " said Torchic.

A maid entered the room and bowed to them. "Welcome to the Battle Chateau," she said. "And such a pleasure to see you again, Marchioness Marianne and Marchioness Electra."

"You're both Marchionesses?" Rafi gasped.

"My secret's out," Marianne chuckled. "But yes, I have done a number of battles here. I had just received the mantle of Marchioness before I met you."

"And I got mine before you," Electra said with a smile.

"Are the rest of you coming to have a battle?" the maid asked the others.

"Not me," Quinn replied. "Battling is not really my strong suit."

"I am," Tristan said.

"And so am I," Rafi added.

At this, an older man in a black suit and monocle came into the room, bowing low. "Greetings, young trainers. I am Duke Turner, the host of the Battle Chateau. I understand that you two would like to have your debut match, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir," Tristan replied. "My name is Tristan."

"And I'm Rafi," said the Flying Knight.

"And such a delight seeing you two here again, Marchioness Marianne." Duke Turner took Marianne's hand and shook it. "And Marchioness Electra." He did the same to Electra.

"Good to see you again, sir," Marianne said politely.

"Please follow me into the waiting room." Duke Turner opened the door he had come through and led the Knights through it.

They walked through a passageway that had many adornments from the old times and soon they entered a room where a few dozen trainers stood, chatting to each other and comparing Pokémon.

"Are they all here to battle too?" Rafi asked.

"Yes, a lot of them have already gained their titles and some are waiting to debut like you and Master Tristan," Duke Turner replied.

"Excuse me!"

At the shout, Duke Turner looked round as a young man in hiking gear walked up to him. "I've just been challenged to a battle by one of the Duchesses. Can we ask that you be our judge for the battle?"

"But of course, Duke Fergus," Duke Turner replied with a smile. "Please get into your appropriate outfits and we can begin."

As the hiker went off, Duke Turner turned to address the crowd. "Attention all, we are about to have a battle between our two most respected Dukes, Duke Fergus and Duchess Etna."

Quinn's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, Duchess who?"

"But until the match begins, we have two new trainers eager to join the ranks, Tristan and Rafi. So if anyone would like to come to give them their debut match, please come forward! That is all."

As Duke Turner went off after Fergus, two young trainers came up to the Knights. One was a young boy about Rafi's age in a blue jacket and brown shorts, the other was a Bug Catcher in a brown outfit.

"So you two are new here, huh?" the young boy asked Tristan. "Well then, how about you and your little Torchic have a battle with me? By the way, my name's Mickey."

"Sure," Tristan replied.

"And I'm Benny," said the Bug Catcher. "Would you like to take me on, Rafi?"

"Yeah, I most definitely would," Rafi replied.

" _Minccino!_ " said Lucky.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the maid announced. "If you would please step out onto the balcony for the first match."

The Knights followed the other trainers out onto the balcony of the Chateau. Tristan saw that the balcony overlooked an arena built above the river. Just then, two people stepped out onto the arena. The first one out was Fergus who now wore a red cloak over his hiking gear. Behind him came a young slim woman with bright red hair streaked with pink, wearing her cloak over an orange kimono with red fire patterns.

"I don't believe it!" Quinn gasped in amazement. "It _is_ her!"

" _Grovyle!_ " cried Grovyle.

"This battle between Duke Fergus and Duchess Etna is about to begin," Duke Turner announced. "As per the rules, each Duke can only use one Pokémon with no substitutes. Should a Duke's Pokémon successfully knock out the other, they shall be declared the winners." The two opponents stood on opposite sides of the arena. "Begin!"

"Drapion, I choose you!" Fergus called, throwing his Poké Ball out.

"Delphox, let's light 'em up!" Etna shouted, doing the same.

In a flash of light, the two Pokémon emerged. Drapion reared up to its full height, snapping its pincers together, while Delphox raised its paws ready for battle.

Tristan and Rafi each scanned the Pokémon with their PokéDex. "Drapion is part Dark Type and Delphox is part Psychic," Tristan noted. "This battle might be over quick."

"I don't think so," Quinn replied. "If I know Etna, she always finds a way around weaknesses."

"How do you know her anyway?" Electra asked.

"I'll tell you when the match is over," Quinn replied.

"Drapion, Night Slash!" Fergus commanded.

Drapion's front claws began to glow and it scuttled towards Delphox.

Etna didn't look worried at all. "Dodge the attack, Delphox!"

At the last second, Delphox jumped aside, soaring over Drapion's head.

"Now, use Shadow Ball!"

Delphox summoned a black orb in her paws then hurled it out, striking Drapion in the back.

"Don't give up, Drapion!" Fergus yelled. "Hit her with Pin Missile!"

Drapion raised its tail and fired dozens of glowing needles towards Delphox.

"Block it with Will-O-Wisp!" Etna commanded.

Pulling out a burning branch, Delphox created six fire balls and threw them out. The fire balls met the Pin Missiles halfway and burnt them to a crisp then they flew on and hit Drapion, its body flashing red as it was Burned.

"Whoa!" Rafi gasped. "That was cool!"

"I've never seen anyone use Will-O-Wisp as a defensive move!" Marianne agreed.

Quinn nodded. "Good old Etna..."

" _Grovyle,_ " agreed Grovyle.

"Venoshock!" Fergus called.

Rearing up, Drapion spat out a sickly purple liquid that hit Delphox, making her stumble. Then Drapion flashed red again and fell back.

"Let's finish this off, Delphox!" Etna cried. "Mystical Fire!"

Sweeping her branch round, Delphox blew out a powerful stream of fire and blasted Drapion hard. When the flames subsided, Drapion collapsed to the ground, knocked out.

"Drapion is unable to battle!" Duke Turner announced. "The winner of the match is Duchess Etna!"

"Good work, Delphox," Etna beamed, patting her Pokémon's shoulder. "Another great win."

" _Delphox,_ " said Delphox.

Fergus recalled his Drapion then approached Etna. "My congratulations to you," he smiled, shaking her hand. "And such a noble battle indeed."

"Thanks, you too," Etna replied.

"Etna!" Quinn called, running down the stairs with his Pokémon. "Well done out there!"

Etna turned around and her eyes widened. "Quinn? Quinn Westwood, is that you?"

"Yes, it is, Etna!" Quinn replied. "It's been so long."

"I haven't seen you since your graduation at Almia." Etna ran over and grabbed Quinn in a hug. "It's so great to see you again!"

Grovyle bounded over and nodded at Delphox. " _Grovyle, grove?_ "

" _Delphox, phox,_ " Delphox replied with a wry smile.

Grovyle then turned to Leafeon and Roselia. " _Grovyle, grovyle._ "

Delphox looked at each Pokemon and nodded at them.

"Looks like you've still got your friends with you, too," Etna smiled.

"And made some new ones," Quinn replied, as the other Knights came over. "Everyone, this is Etna Langstrom, one of the best Fire Trainers I've ever come to know in my travels."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Etna smiled once Quinn had introduced them. She turned to Tristan and Rafi. "So, you two want to join the Battle Chateau? It won't be easy, but I know you can do it."

"Thanks," Tristan replied. "Which reminds me, I need to talk to Duke Turner about my match."

"Me too," Rafi said. "After watching that match, I can't wait to get started!"

* * *

Outside the Chateau, Sharphound appeared in a cloud of smoke, accompanied by a gang of KrokoViles. Next to appear was Sabelteur's latest monster, a Barbaracle with the head, tail and sturdy arms of a Swampert.

"Alright, Swampacle, you understand the plan?" Sharphound asked. "You head into the water and wait for my signal. Then you attack the Chateau and keep everyone from leaving the main hall. I will send the KrokoViles out to bar the way, but your job is to keep the Knights of Order distracted."

"Yes, General," Swampacle said. With that, he ran to the river and jumped in, swimming towards the arena.

Once he'd gone, Sharphound took out a small black gem and placed it on his chest. In an instant, his appearance had changed into a young man in a black suit, white gloves and a silver helmet. "Now then, time to mingle with the humans."

As he stepped in, a maid approached him. "Welcome to the Battle Chateau. Can I help you?"

"Yes, miss," Sharphound replied. "Can you tell me about the Dukes and Duchesses in this place?"

The maid looked puzzled. "What for, sir?"

"I feel that it's important to know what sort of opponents to face when I become Duke myself."

"Have you been here before?" asked the maid curiously. "I don't recall ever seeing you at the Chateau before."

Sharphound started to panic, so he acted fast. "Well, what about that fellow over there?" he asked, pointing behind her.

As the maid turned to look, Sharphound delivered a karate chop on her shoulder, knocking her out. "I hate getting asked awkward questions." Waving his hand, he beckoned the KrokoViles into the Chateau. "I shall search the place for the answers I need. You spread out through the Chateau, don't let anyone try to leave the great hall."

With eager snarls, the KrokoViles slunk away into the passages. Sharphound followed a little behind.

* * *

"Begin!" Duke Turner announced.

"Orville, let's go!" Rafi cried, throwing out his Ball.

"Go get him, Beedrill!" Benny cried, tossing out his Ball.

As the Pokémon emerged, they hovered in the air, regarding each other carefully.

Rafi made the first move. "Orville, Wing Attack!"

Orville streaked through the air, wings ready to strike.

"Dodge it and then use Twineedle!" Benny shouted.

Beedrill swooped to one side, avoiding Orville's attack, then it fell around and struck Orville with its stinger arms, knocking Orville to the ground.

"Hang in there, Orville," Rafi called, urging his Pokémon up. "We can still beat him."

On the sidelines, Tristan and the others stood and watched the battle, ready to cheer Rafi on. Etna stood next to them. "Your friend seems very sure of himself."

"You should have seen him at Santalune City," Marianne replied.

Buoyed by his trainer's encouragement, Orville stood up and took to the air.

"Beedrill, go for Fury Attack!" Benny shouted.

Beedrill flew towards Orville, stingers at the ready.

"Drive him back with Gust," Rafi ordered.

Orville flapped his wings hard, creating a gust of wind that blew Beedrill back.

"Now Quick Attack!"

Before Beedrill could recover, Orville flew straight as an arrow at the Bug, slamming into its chest.

"He's certainly trained his Pokemon well," Etna noted.

"Beedrill, hit him with Poison Jab!" Benny yelled.

Beedrill flew up, its stinger glowing purple, and it punched out, stabbing Orville hard and making him falter in the air.

"Fury Attack once again!"

Beedrill charged in and struck Orville with all its might, sending him plunging to the ground again.

"Orville!" Rafi gasped.

"This doesn't look good," Marianne breathed.

"He's not out of it yet," Quinn said. "There's still a chance."

"Come on, Orville, don't give in!" Rafi shouted. "I know you can win this fight! I believe in you!"

Hearing Rafi shouting, Orville slowly struggled to stand.

"Yeah, Orville, you can do it!" Tristan shouted.

Orville finally rose to his feet and spread his wings out wide. " _Pidgeeyyyyy!_ "

Suddenly, Orville's body began to glow bright blue. Rafi gasped in amazement. "What...?"

As everyone watched in silence, Orville's body grew a little bigger. Then the light faded, revealing a sturdy and eager Pidgeotto. " _Pidgeotto!_ "

"Alright!" Rafi cheered. "Orville has evolved!"

"Way to go, Orville!" Electra shouted encouragingly. "Now finish this battle!"

Benny smiled eagerly. "We'll see how tough this guy has become. Beedrill, Pursuit!"

Beedrill's body flashed white and it flew rapidly towards Orville.

"Dodge it quickly, Orville!" Rafi yelled.

Flapping his strong wings, Orville flew over Beedrill's head. Then he turned and flew towards it.

"Watch out, Beedrill!" Benny called. "Hit him with Twineedle!"

Beedrill turned in midair and flew straight at Orville, stingers raised.

"They're going to crash!" Tristan gasped.

"I can't look!" Electra cried, covering her face with both hands.

Then at the last second, Orville suddenly disappeared. As Beedrill stopped to look around, Orville appeared behind it and slammed into it, pushing him down. As they hit the ground, a cloud of dust flew up, hiding them from view.

"What happened?" Marianne asked baffled.

"Orville must have learned Aerial Ace," Etna replied. "But who has won?"

After a tense few seconds, Orville flew out of the dust cloud, battered but pleased with himself. Then the dust finally cleared, revealing a knocked out Beedrill.

"Beedrill is unable to battle!" Duke Turner announced. "The winner of this match is Rafi, who now claims the title of Baron!"

"Yes!" Rafi cheered as Orville landed in front of him. "You did it, Orville! And congratulations on evolving!"

" _Pidgeo,_ " Orville replied.

"Well done," Benny smiled, walking up to Rafi. "I certainly didn't expect such a turnaround like that, but you've definitely earned that title."

"Thank you," Rafi beamed.

"That was incredible!" Tristan cried, running over to him. "I'm so proud of you!"

Then the maid came over to them, carrying a white cloak. "Congratulations on winning the match," she said. "Please take this as a sign of your new rank."

Rafi accepted the cloak with a smile.

"And now for our next match," Duke Turner announced. "Combatants, step into the arena."

"Good luck, Tristan," Rafi said, patting his friend's arm as he went.

Mickey came out onto the arena. "You ready for this?"

"You bet I am." Tristan turned to his first Pokémon. "Alright, Torchic, do your best out there!"

" _Torchic,_ " said Torchic, running out into the arena.

Mickey took out a Poké Ball and threw it out. "Then I shall choose Snover!"

As a female Snover appeared, Torchic scratched the ground with one foot, ready for battle.

"Let the match begin!" Duke Turner announced.

* * *

Sharphound was starting to get impatient. He had searched through all the rooms of the Chateau, but he had found no hints to the whereabouts of the info Yvestros needed.

Then he opened a door which led into an office. "Hmm, maybe this will have what I need..."

Stepping inside, he approached the desk and pulled open a drawer. Inside were a few labeled sheets of paper which he pulled out with a smile. "Finally. Time to signal Swampacle."

He opened a window and looked out, seeing the arena below. Then he drew in a breath and launched a single fireball into the air...

* * *

"Torchic, Ember!" Tristan yelled.

Opening his beak, Torchic launched little fireballs at Snover, hitting her hard.

"This battle's gonna be quick," Marianne said. "Snover's type makes it a bad choice against a Fire Type."

"I don't know," Etna murmured. "There must be a reason Mickey chose that Pokemon."

"Alright, Snover, time for our special move!" Mickey announced. "Water Pulse!"

"What?" Tristan gasped.

Snover summoned a glowing blue ball in her hands and hurled it out.

"Torchic, dodge it fast!" Tristan yelled.

Quickly, Torchic scrambled to one side, just before the Water Pulse soared through the spot he had been standing on and crashed into the river.

"So that's Mickey's ploy," Rafi realized. "He's taught Snover to use Water Pulse so it can counteract a Fire Pokémon's attacks."

"With that attack, Tristan's going to have quite a tough battle," Etna agreed.

As Quinn nodded his head, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Looking round, he saw a smoky trail coming out of one of the Chateau's windows. "Huh? What is that?"

Tristan gritted his teeth. "Torchic, go for Peck!"

Torchic charged forward, beck pointed ahead as he ran at Snover.

Suddenly, the whole arena shook wildly, throwing Torchic and Snover off their feet. Tristan stumbled backwards, almost teetering on the arena's edge. Mickey looked around in confusion. "What was that?"

His answer came moments later, as a Swampert-Barbaracle monster burst out of the river and landed in the center of the arena. The people screamed in terror at the sight of the monster, and the maid fainted to the floor.

"What is that thing?" Etna gasped.

"Oh no," Electra breathed.

"Oh my goodness!" Duke Turner cried out. "What a horrible creature!"

" _Snover!_ " yelped Snover, running behind her owner's legs.

"What's with the freaky looking fish?" Mickey gasped.

Tristan quickly took action. "Who are you? And why are you attacking this place?"

"I am Swampacle," the monster replied. "My orders are to destroy the Chateau!"

Tristan glanced down at his Morpher, but with Mickey and Duke Turner on the arena with him and a lot of people watching on the balcony, he knew that it was too risky to change. "Guess I'll just have to improvise," he said to himself then aloud he yelled, "Torchic, hit him with Ember!"

"Snover, help out with Razor Leaf!" Mickey shouted.

Torchic launched more fireballs out his beak while Snover launched some leaves from her hands. Both attacks hit Swampacle, but they didn't seem to affect him.

"We've got to do something!" Rafi cried.

"How?" Electra asked in low tones. "We can't morph with all these people around."

"We have to try at least," Quinn replied.

"What are you guys talking about?" Etna interrupted.

"Enough of this!" Swampacle snapped. "Hammer Arm!"

Pushing past the Pokémon, he raised his massive arms and struck Tristan and Mickey, sending them off the edge of the arena and crashing into the river.

"TRISTAN!" Rafi screamed.

" _Mincci!_ " Lucky cried.

Laughing wickedly, Swampacle dived back into the water. Torchic and Snover ran up to the edge, calling out to their trainers. Duke Turner tried to run towards the stairs. Just before he reached them, Swampacle jumped out under the stairs, smashing them apart with his head and stranding Duke Turner, Torchic and Snover.

"Whoa," Electra gasped. "Such power!"

"I'm going after Tristan and Mickey!" Marianne cried, drawing out a Dive Ball and a Lure Ball. "Milotic, Sharpedo, let's go!"

With a flash of light, Milotic and Sharpedo appeared, landing in the river.

"While I'm gone, I need you guys to evacuate the Chateau," Marianne ordered, climbing onto the balcony. "Get everyone to safety."

"Okay, be careful," Quinn replied.

With a smile, Marianne jumped off the balcony and dived into the water. Popping her head out, she swam over to Sharpedo and grabbed onto its fin. "Okay, guys, let's go and save Tristan and Mickey!"

As the two Water Pokémon dived into the river, Electra turned to the others. "Let's get going."

"Why are you being so calm about this?" Etna cried. "Duke Turner is trapped out there, and Tristan, Mickey, and Marianne could be in danger!"

"There's nothing we can do for them now," Quinn shouted. "Come on, let's get everyone out of here."

Rafi turned to the crowd. "Everyone listen up! I know that things look bad, but right now, we need to stay calm. So if we can quietly head for the exits, we'll all be fine."

Quinn and Electra ran over to the main doors and swung them open, only to find a group of KrokoViles standing in the passage, snarling menacingly. Electra quickly slammed the doors again. "Okay, not going through that way."

Quinn went over to a side door, opened it, saw more KrokoViles inside and quickly closed it again. "Nor that way."

Rafi tried the last door but got the same results as the others. "Okay, correction, folks. Now we can panic."

* * *

Under the river's surface, Tristan struggled to right himself as he tumbled downstream from the Chateau. At last, he broke the surface with a loud gasp. "Mickey?" he called. "Mickey, where are you?"

"Over here!" Mickey gasped, splashing about in the river. "Help me! I can't swim!"

"I'm coming!" Tristan yelled, swimming towards him. Before he could get there, Mickey was suddenly pulled down into the water. "Mickey!"

Taking a breath, he dived under and saw Mickey being dragged down to the river bed. Paddling as hard as he could, he grabbed Mickey's arm and tried to pull him up. But something had a strong grip on Mickey. Looking down, Tristan saw one of Swampacle's hands clinging tightly onto Mickey's ankle.

With a final tug, Swampacle yanked Mickey and Tristan down to the river bottom. "Now you're in my domain," he laughed, standing on the bed. "And here you shall die!"

Tristan and Mickey tried to swim away, but they found that they were caught by two pairs of spindly Barbaracle arms erupting from the mud.

"Don't even try to escape," Swampacle snapped. "My extra arms are keeping you here until you drown!"

Already Tristan could feel his lungs starting to burst. Any minute now...

Suddenly, Milotic swam into view and swung its tail round, striking Swampacle hard. As he fell back, the arms lost their grip, allowing Tristan and Mickey to escape.

"Hey, get back here!" Swampacle yelled, swimming towards them.

Just before he could catch them, Sharpedo swept in and latched onto his arm with its sharp teeth. As Swampacle cried out in pain, Milotic came in again and bashed into his side, sending him spiraling down the river.

Tristan's eyes widened as he saw Marianne clinging onto Sharpedo's fin. She quickly pointed to Milotic as it swam up to them. Understanding the message, Tristan and Mickey swam over to Milotic and clung onto its neck as it and Sharpedo swam to the surface.

As the two Pokémon emerged, Tristan and Mickey let out loud gasps and coughs, filling their lungs with air.

"Thanks for the timely rescue, Marianne," Tristan panted.

"No problem," Marianne replied. "Now let's head back to the Chateau. Swampacle won't be put off for long."

With that, Sharpedo and Milotic turned and set off upstream...

* * *

"We're surrounded on all sides!" Rafi cried, looking between each of the doors. "How do we get past the KrokoViles?"

"Kroko-whats?" Etna asked puzzled. "How do you know what they're called?"

"Strange that they haven't attacked us yet," Electra noted, rubbing her chin. "It's almost as if they're keeping us here. But why?"

"Only one way to find out." Quinn walked over to the main doors. "Grovyle, Leafeon, get your Energy Balls ready."

Grovyle and Leafeon both summoned their Energy Balls. Then as Quinn threw the doors open, they launched their attacks, taking out the KrokoViles in one hit.

"Alright, everybody out," Rafi called. "Come on, let's go."

Quickly, the trainers ran out into the passages but Etna paused on the way. "What about you guys?"

"We're gonna wait for Tristan and Marianne," Quinn replied. "Just go with the others, they'll need someone to keep them safe. And who better to do that than a Duchess?"

Etna stared at them for a moment then nodded and ran outside.

Quinn then turned to his Pokémon. "Go after them, guys. We'll handle this."

"You too, Lucky," Rafi said.

With a nod, Lucky, Grovyle, Roselia, Leafeon, and Floette set off after the trainers.

"Alright," Electra said. "Now it's time to morph."

She, Rafi and Quinn raised their Morphers, pressing the button down. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The elements of Electricity, Flying and Grass burst out of their Morphers and crashed into them, forming their armor.

"Now let's find out what's happening," Electra said.

"Before Swampacle attacked, I saw a trail of smoke coming from one of the windows," Quinn recalled. "I think Sharphound must be around here somewhere."

"If that's the case, we'd better find him fast," Rafi decided, leading the others out the main hall. "Come on!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Tristan, Mickey, and Marianne had reached the arena outside the Chateau. Milotic and Sharpedo swam over to the edge of the arena, letting their passengers climb up onto the walls.

" _Torchic!_ " Torchic ran over and snuggled up to Tristan's leg.

" _Snover!_ " Snover bounded up and grabbed Mickey in a tight hug.

"Thank Arceus you're alright," Duke Turner called, running over to them. "That monster has destroyed the stairs leading out of the arena, and I've been trapped here ever since."

"Don't worry, sir," Marianne said. "We'll find a way out."

Tristan thought for a moment. "I have an idea. Mickey, can your Snover use Ice Beam?"

"It can do Blizzard," Mickey replied. "Is that fine?"

"It's good enough," Tristan said. "Marianne?"

"Say no more," Marianne smiled. "Milotic, use Water Gun on the stairs."

Milotic turned and fired a stream of water at the stairs.

"Oh, I get it," Mickey said. "Snover, use Blizzard!"

Snover raised her arms and summoned a snowstorm at the Water Gun, freezing it into a ramp that led back to the Chateau.

"Excellent work, my lady!" Duke Turner cheered.

Tristan then spotted a large fin slicing through the water towards them. "Uh oh, looks like Swampacle's coming back for Round 2!"

"Mickey, get Snover and the Duke out of here," Marianne ordered. "We'll handle this guy!"

"Be careful," Mickey called as he, Snover and Duke Turner ran across the ice bridge and into the Chateau.

Tristan and Marianne recalled their Pokémon and stood ready, as moments later, Swampacle leapt out of the water.

"Fish out of water!" Marianne yelled as he landed before them.

"You've escaped me for the last time, Knights of Order!" the Poké-Mutant yelled. "Now I'm really steamed!"

"Guess that would make you a cooked fish, huh?" Tristan laughed. "Let's take you down!"

He and Marianne pressed their Morphers' buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The elements of Fire and Water shot out of their Morphers and slammed into them, creating their armor.

"Now tell us why you're attacking!" Tristan yelled. "Or we'll chop you up into fish sticks!"

"I cannot say," Swampacle replied. "Sharphound gave me orders to keep you distracted."

"Sharphound is here?" Marianne gasped.

Swampacle suddenly realized that he had said too much. "Uhhh, no?"

"We have to warn the others," Tristan cried, reaching for his Morpher.

"No! You will not warn them. Mud Shot!" Swampacle spat out two balls of mud that struck Tristan and Marianne in the chest, coating their armor.

"Blech!" Tristan gasped, wiping the mud off as best he could. "That Mud Shot's covered our Morphers!"

"We can't contact the others now," Marianne cried. "We'll just have to fight him ourselves!"

Jumping to their feet, Tristan and Marianne summoned their weapons and ran towards Swampacle...

* * *

Inside the Chateau, Sharphound was still looking through the pages he'd found. Each page had a list of trainers and a roster showing the Pokémon they'd used in battles. "No... no... not this one... Wait." He looked back at the sheet he'd turned and glanced at it for a long while. "Yes, this could be the one..."

Suddenly he heard loud roars coming from behind the door of the office. "What the...?" he asked. "What's happening out there?"

In answer, the door was thrown open as a KrokoVile was hurtled through it, crashing against the desk. Then Rafi, Quinn, and Electra stepped into the room, weapons raised.

"Hey you," Quinn said, not recognising Sharphound in his human form. "Why are you still here? Didn't you hear the monster attacking this place?"

"Uh, there was a monster attack?" Sharphound asked, feigning ignorance. "I'm sorry, but I was just sorting out these papers, for uh, important reasons."

"Wait a second," Electra cried. "I've been to this place many times and I don't recall seeing you around here before."

For a moment, Sharphound was silent. Then he leapt over the desk and charged at the Knights. Just before he could reach them, Electra raised her hammer and slammed it into his chest. As he fell back, the Rangers heard a shattering noise then Sharphound's disguise faded away, revealing his true form.

"Sharphound!" Rafi gasped. "What's going on here? Why the disguise?"

Sharphound didn't answer. He just opened his mouth and fired a stream of flame, driving the Knights out of the office. When the fire faded, Sharphound had disappeared.

"Where'd he go?" Electra yelled, running into the room. "And what was he after?"

Just then, a group of KrokoViles came into the passage, jaws agape. The Rangers raised their weapons, ready to fight back.

"Delphox, Psyshock!"

Suddenly, the KrokoViles were thrown forward onto their faces, knocked down by a wave of psychic energy. As the Poké-Mutants faded away, the Knights looked up and saw Etna standing at the other end, her Delphox by her side.

"Uh, thanks for the assistance," Quinn replied. "But we had this under control."

Etna nodded slowly. "I'm sure you did, Quinn."

The Knight jumped back in shock, their expressions hidden behind their helmets. "I-I'm not sure who you're talking about," Quinn stammered.

"Oh come on, don't try to hide it," Etna scoffed. "You guys were the only ones who were completely calm when that monster attacked, you knew the names of those creatures that were trying to keep us prisoner, and when I came back to look for you guys, you had disappeared and these strange people in fancy armor suddenly appear out of nowhere. Call me crazy, but I find that too bizarre to be a coincidence. So come on, it is you, isn't it?"

Electra swapped a look with Rafi and Quinn. "She's certainly a quick learner."

"Yes, you're right, it is us," Rafi admitted.

"I'm sorry that I lied to you," Quinn sighed. "We had orders not to reveal ourselves to anyone. So we couldn't risk changing in front of everybody."

Etna's expression softened and she folded her arms. "You always were full of surprises, Quinn. At least you cleared away all those- what did you call them? KrokoViles?"

"Yeah, part Krokorok, part Weavile," Rafi replied.

Just then, they heard a loud roar from outside. Quinn ran up to a window and looked outside. "Uh oh, Swampacle's back! And he's attacking Tristan and Marianne!"

"We've got to get out there!" Rafi cried.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Etna asked. "Let's go get him!"

* * *

"Hammer Arm!" Swampacle bellowed, raising his arms.

Tristan and Marianne jumped out of the way. Marianne raised her Water Blaster and fired a stream of water, driving Swampacle back. Tristan jumped in and punched him in the face.

"You're getting on my nerves! Water Gun!" Taking a breath, he shot out a huge torrent of water, driving Tristan back. Tristan fell to the ground, weakened by the super effective attack.

"Hang in there, Tristan!" Marianne yelled. "You have to find a way past that strong attack!"

Tristan staggered to his feet. "But how? That water's too tough to take on at full force." Then he suddenly remembered Etna's battle. "Wait, her Delphox was faced with a super-effective attack, but she avoided it easily... Maybe that's the answer." He drew out his sword and ran at Swampacle.

"Back for more, huh?" Swampacle laughed. "Okay, one more Water Gun shall take you out!" So saying he launched another water stream.

"Watch out!" Marianne yelled.

But just before the attack hit, Tristan crouched down and then launched himself into the air, soaring over the water and right at Swampacle. As the Poke-Mutant reached out to grab him with his extra hands, Tristan swung his sword round, cutting off the arms in one blow.

"AAAAARRRGHHH!" Swampacle screamed in pain.

At that moment, Rafi, Quinn, and Electra came running over the ice bridge. "Are you guys alright?" Quinn asked.

"We are now that you're here," Marianne replied. "What say we finish this guy off?"

"Good idea," Tristan replied. "Time to form the Justice Blaster!"

"Water Cannon!" Marianne held her weapon out.

"Feather Bow!" Rafi stuck his weapon underneath the Cannon.

"Leaf Dirks!" Quinn stuck his daggers on either side of the barrel.

"Thunder Hammer!" Electra stuck her weapon at the back.

"Fire Sword!" Tristan put his sword on top of the Blaster. The tip of the sword opened up, as did Electra's hammer and Quinn's daggers, forming extra barrels.

"Justice Blaster, active!" Tristan cried, holding up the weapon as the others ran behind him.

With an angry bellow, Swampacle turned to face the Knights.

"Fire!" Tristan yelled, pulling the trigger.

The energy blast shot out of the cannon and struck Swampacle right in the chest. With a painful cry, the Poké-Mutant was thrown off the arena and into the river where he exploded into a million pieces.

"And another one bites the dust," Tristan beamed.

"Way to go, guys!" Etna cheered from the sidelines.

"What's she doing here?" Marianne asked.

"She kinda figured out who we are," Quinn admitted. "And we owe her a big explanation."

Tristan and Marianne swapped nervous looks.

* * *

"Well, that was a useless monster," Mothitelle noted.

"He would have been more helpful if you'd gone down and made him bigger!" Sabelteur snapped.

"Even if we had, he still would have been destroyed," Sharphound snapped.

"That's enough!" Yvestros bellowed. "The monster's job wasn't to crush the Knights anyway. He at least kept them distracted long enough for Sharphound to do his job."

"Yes," Sharphound agreed. "And after much research, I have retrieved a list of the Chateau's Dukes and Duchesses that could serve our purposes well."

Yvestros took the paper and examined it carefully. "Such a number of strong trainers. Any of them will be most useful..."

* * *

Once the trainers had returned, they quickly realized how much of a mess the Chateau had become. But despite the damages, Tristan insisted on having his battle with Mickey, confident that he was ready to win.

Soon, the match was underway, Tristan using Torchic and Mickey with his Snover.

While the battle was going on, Quinn had taken Etna aside and contacted Gurkinn through his Morpher's communicator. After receiving a lecture from Gurkinn about letting their identities slip, Quinn had Gurkinn explain everything leading up to the Knights' recruitment.

"So this Yvestros is trying to reconquer Kalos, and you guys are the only ones who can stop him?" Etna asked.

"In an Apricorn shell, yes," Gurkinn replied. "And I've been monitoring the enemy's activities at my base."

"Which reminds me," Quinn said. "Why didn't Lucario sense the presence of Swampacle or Sharphound through the aura?"

"I'm not so sure myself," Gurkinn admitted. "He did sense something in the aura, but somehow it was more powerful than the Poké-Mutants. It was baffling, to say the least. But I'm glad you guys were able to sort it out anyway. Gurkinn out."

Quinn turned to Etna and bowed his head. "Again, I'm sorry for deceiving you."

"Hey, water under the bridge," Etna replied. "And considering everything that's been going on, I think I'd like to accompany you on your journey."

"Really?" Quinn asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I've been around the area already, and I could give Tristan and Rafi some tips for the Gyms they're about to face and help them out. Besides, you owe me for helping you out back there."

"I guess you're right," Quinn chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

With that over, they turned their attention back to the battle.

"Snover, hit him with Water Pulse!" Mickey yelled.

Tristan smiled to himself. "Torchic, get ready to move when I say so."

Torchic braced himself as Snover summoned her Water Pulse and then launched it at him.

"Now, jump over the Water Pulse and use Ember!" Tristan yelled.

At the last second, Torchic leapt forward, soaring over the Water attack. As he flew, he launched fireballs from his beak, striking Snover and dealing some hard damage.

"Oh no!" Mickey gasped.

"And finish it off with Peck!" Tristan shouted.

Torchic dived out of the air and stabbed his beak right into Snover. With a final cry, Snover fell to the ground, knocked out.

"Snover is unable to battle!" Duke Turner announced. "The winner of the match is Tristan, who now claims the title of Baron!"

"We did it!" Tristan cheered. "Good work, buddy!"

" _Torchic, chic!_ " Torchic cheered, running back to his trainer.

Mickey went over to Snover and patted her head. "It's okay, Snover, you did well out there. Now get a good rest." He recalled her and then went over to Tristan. "Well done out there."

"Thanks," Tristan smiled. "I must say, I'm impressed that you taught Snover to use Water Pulse. That's quite something."

As they shook hands, the maid came over to Tristan, carrying a cloak. "Please take this. With this, you now bear the title of Baron Tristan!"

Tristan smiled and took the cloak, holding it up to his friends.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Knights' Base, Gurkinn was re-scanning the images that Lucario had picked up earlier. He'd set them back to Aura Sense and was now examining them closely. Flicking some settings, he brought up the aura trails of Sharphound and Swampacle, which glowed an evil black. Then he changed the settings back, revealing two different auras that overwhelmed the rest. One was a crisp blue like snow and the other was flickering like a swarm of insects.

"Interesting," he muttered. "Perhaps there might be some hope yet."

While he was checking the image, he didn't notice a third aura passing over the Chateau, this one dragon-shaped and dark purple...

* * *

 **Ooh, intriguing! But that's another story for another time.**

 **Etna Langstrom belongs to D.J. Scales.**

 **Anyway, please let me know if you have any ideas for monster designs for later episodes.**

 **See you then**


	12. Going Underground

**Big announcement at the end of this chapter.**

* * *

 _Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _On the way to Cyllage City, the Knights came across the Battle Chateau, a place where trainers battle in the hope of reaching the highest rank. While there, Quinn met up with an old friend, Etna, whom he'd met on his earlier travels. But the Chateau came under attack by Yvestros' latest monster, Swampacle. While Tristan and Marianne grappled with Swampacle, Rafi, Quinn, and Electra came across Sharphound who was using the attack as a means to research the Chateau's top trainers. Aided by Etna who learned their true identities, the Knights cleared the Chateau of KrokoViles and defeated Swampacle, while Tristan and Rafi earned the ranks of Baron. Now the journey continues, this time with Etna on the team..._

* * *

Chapter 11: Going Underground

"So Sharphound was just looking through papers in the Chateau?" Tristan asked. "Any idea why?"

"We don't know," Quinn replied, sitting next to his Pokémon. "None of us got a chance to ask before he got away."

The Knights and Etna were camping out by the river, spending the night just a short distance away from the nearby caves. Marianne had changed into a white one-piece swimming costume, released her Pokémon in the river to play in and spent most of the time swimming with her Pokemon and practising their battle styles. Etna had also changed into a red T-shirt and a fluffy black skirt and was cooking up a meaty stew for supper. Now both girls and Tristan listened as Rafi, Quinn and Electra explained their discovery of Sharphound at the Battle Chateau.

"That doesn't make sense," Marianne said from her seat on her Lapras' shell. "So far, the only times we've seen Sharphound is when he's with another monster or with some KrokoViles. Why would he be snooping around in the background?"

"I spoke with Duke Turner while we were cleaning up the Chateau," Etna recalled, dishing out the stew into six dishes. "He said that the only things missing from his office were the lists with all the names of Dukes and Duchesses, and the Pokemon that they used in battle. But how would that help them?"

"Yvestros has the ability to drain living beings of their life force or creates monsters to do it," Electra explained. "Maybe he's searching for some strong trainers to get some especially powerful life force for his monsters."

"It's possible," Quinn agreed.

Etna suddenly looked worried. "I'm a Duchess. So wouldn't that mean..." She trailed off, not wanting to finish her thought.

"Don't worry, Etna, you're safe with us," Rafi reassured him. "We won't let any harm come to you."

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky added.

Etna smiled and tousled Rafi's hair. "Thanks, guys. Now let's dig in."

* * *

All that night, Yvestros pored over the lists that Sharphound had acquired, looking through each picture of a Duke or Duchess, and the Pokémon that each of them owned. "So many people that own a Garchomp," he grunted as morning came. "How can we possibly find a perfect candidate out of all this?"

"Perhaps it would be best to find out if any of them are in Kalos presently," Mothitelle suggested. "I may have seen a few of those people during my original scouting trip."

"In the meantime, I have some news on the Knights of Order," Sabelteur announced. "At this moment, they are heading towards the caves that lead to Cyllage City. Some strong trainers will be gathered at the Gym right now to face them."

"Then we need to slow down the Knights long enough to find our target," Sharphound decided. "Like another one of your monsters, perchance?"

"Oh, now you think my monsters are good?" Sabelteur scowled.

"Shall I accompany this monster, my Lord?" Mothitelle asked.

"No, not this time," Yvestros replied. "I have another job for you to do..."

* * *

Meanwhile, Etna and the Knights were on their way to the Connecting Cave. Tristan had his Torchic running at his feet, Lucky was curled around Rafi's neck while Spiky walked by his side, Electra carried her Pikachu on her shoulder and Quinn marched along with his Pokémon friends. Etna walked at the head of the group, giving them details on their destination and the challenges that lay ahead.

"This cave, sometimes called the Zubat Roost, has two exits," she explained. "One exit will take us the long way round through Ambrette Town and we'd have to walk along the coast to get to Cyllage City. The other exit takes us directly to the city, but we'd have to move a few boulders out the way to get there."

"I've been through the caves before," Electra said. "But I went the long way round. I prefer the scenic route anyway."

"Not me," Marianne said. "Luckily for me, my Poliwrath knew Strength and he cleared the way for me."

"Sounds like we have to decide which way to go," Etna said.

"Let's put it to a vote," Tristan decided. "All in favor of taking a quick way round, show your hands."

He, Quinn, Marianne, Rafi, and Etna raised their hands. "And all in favor of the long way round."

Only Electra put her hand up.

"Quick way round it is," Tristan stated.

"Aw, seriously?" Electra cried. "What's wrong with a little stroll along the beach?"

"We'll visit Ambrette Town once Rafi and I get our next badge," Tristan said to reassure her.

"Do you think there's some cool Pokémon in this cave?" Rafi asked excitedly. "I'd like to find some new ones to add to my team."

"You'd need to get a Fighting-type or a Water-type," Marianne replied as they set off towards the cave. "The Cyllage Gym Leader, Grant, uses Rock-type Pokémon in his gym."

"There should be a few Pokemon that you can use," Etna replied.

Electra followed far behind nervously. "Just take it easy," she muttered to herself. "It's just a short stroll through a dark cave. What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

"May I present my newest creation... Rhyperius!" Sabelteur announced.

The monster that entered had the body of an Excadrill and the head, feet, and tail of a Rhyperior. His body was wrapped in a thick layer of orange armor.

"So what can this guy do?" Sharphound asked, not expecting much.

"Well, he can dig tunnels at an incredible rate," Sabelteur replied. "And he's very tough."

"That's it?" Sharphound scoffed.

"Enough!" Yvestros snapped. "I'm not looking for monsters to destroy the Knights of Order. We just need to keep them distracted until our plan is complete _then_ we destroy them. Now, Rhyperius, get to the cave and try to slow them down"

"At once, my Lord!" Rhyperius yelled, saluting with his long claws.

* * *

As the Knights entered the cave, they found that it was quite dark. Etna called out her Delphox and Electra sent out Ampharos to light the way with Flash.

After a few minutes, they reached an area of the cave that was blocked by large boulders.

"Okay, Poliwrath, push the rock aside with Strength," Marianne cried, calling out her Pokémon.

Poliwrath braced himself against one boulder and started to push, but the rock didn't move a single inch.

"Maybe the rock's stuck in the ground," Quinn guessed.

"Well, I can help out there," Tristan said, taking out a ball. "Go, Sandslash, help dig out the rock."

Once he'd appeared, Sandslash started digging around the base of the rock. As soon as it was clear, Poliwrath pushed again and this time the boulder moved out of the way.

"Excellent work!" Etna beamed. "We'll be at Cyllage City in no time!"

Suddenly, the whole cavern started to shake, startling a colony of Zubat that were hanging from the ceiling. The Knights almost lost their footing and the Pokémon hung close together as stalactites broke off the ceiling and crashed to the floor, missing them by inches. Rafi's glasses fell off his face and landed on Spiky. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the shaking stopped as quickly as it started.

"What was that about?" Marianne gasped.

"I don't know," Etna replied. "This place doesn't usually have earthquakes."

Just then, the Knights' Morphers started beeping. "That's Gurkinn calling," Tristan realised, pressing the communicator button. "Yes, Gurkinn, what's up?"

"I've received a warning of another monster," Gurkinn replied. "He's currently in your location, but Lucario's having a hard time finding out what it looks like."

"Why's that?" Quinn asked as Rafi started patting each of the Pokémon, looking for his glasses.

"Well, the moment the monster appeared, it disappeared underground," Gurkinn said. "Be very careful, guys. I'll inform you if something new comes up. Gurkinn out."

"You think that monster caused that earthquake?" Etna asked.

"Maybe," Tristan agreed. "But at least we're out of the worst of it now."

At that moment, there came a loud cracking sound beneath their feet. The trainers all looked down and saw the ground was starting to split apart.

Marianne gave Tristan an icy glare. "You just had to say those words, didn't you?"

Before anyone else could speak, the cave floor broke apart and with loud cries, Etna, the Knights and their Pokémon all disappeared into the caverns. As they fell, the tunnels split into three parts and everyone ended getting separated from each other, landing in a different part of the caves...

* * *

Meanwhile, Mothitelle appeared in an alleyway at Lumiose City. Looking out, she quickly checked her surroundings before ducking back in the shadows.

"My Lord, I have reached Lumiose City," she reported through her telepathy. "Is it safe to go forward with the plan?"

"Yes, I've heard from Rhyperius," Yvestros replied. "At this moment, the Knights of Order will be too preoccupied to interfere. Get going as soon as you can."

"Yes, my Lord." Mothitelle used her powers to shift into human form then stepped out into the streets, heading towards the Prism Tower...

* * *

"Wake up, Tristan! WAKE UP!"

Tristan opened his eyes to complete darkness, feeling someone shaking him very hard. When his eyes got the chance to get accustomed to the gloom, he saw Electra standing over him, a panicked look on her face. "Come on, you gotta wake up!" she practically screamed.

"I'm awake, I'm awake!" Tristan yelled, sitting up straight. "Calm down for two seconds!"

"Calm down?" Electra yelled, grabbing him by his lapels and shaking him hard. "How in Arceus' name can I calm down when we're trapped in the darkness, and there is no way out?"

" _Poliwrath!_ "

" _Sandslash!_ "

Just then, Poliwrath and Sandslash ran over and pulled Electra away from Tristan who turned and spotted Spiky and Roselia also running up to them.

" _Rose, roselia, rose, rose!_ " Roselia scolded, shaking one of her roses at Electra.

" _Chespin, pin, ches!_ " Spiky added.

"I think they're telling you to calm down too," Tristan said, straightening his jacket as he got to his feet. "It's no good of us to start freaking out when things get bad. So take a deep breath and clear your thoughts."

Electra did just that, but as she breathed out, she started to cry. "I'm sorry for acting that way," she sobbed, pulling her knees up to her chest. "But the fact is, we're lost in the darkness, separated from the others, with no source of light and there doesn't seem to be a way to escape."

Tristan looked around the cavern they were in. "Well, you're right about that." He turned to look at Sandslash, Spiky, Poliwrath, and Roselia. "Are you guys the only others that came with us?"

The Pokemon nodded and that was when Tristan noticed something different. "Hey, Spiky, where'd you get those glasses?"

" _Chespin?_ " Spiky took off the glasses and looked them over.

"Wait a minute, those are Rafi's glasses!" Tristan realised, snatching them up. "Oh, this is not good. He'll be lost without them. We have to get out of here!"

Electra looked up, wiping the tears from her eyes. "But where do we go? This caves could go on for hundreds of miles."

"That doesn't mean we should give up now," Tristan replied, helping her up. "There's a tunnel over there. Come on, let's try to find the others."

With that, Tristan, Electra, Spiky, Sandslash, Poliwrath, and Roselia set off into the tunnel...

* * *

In another part of the caves, Etna sat up, rubbing her head. "Ow, that was a bad fall."

"Etna, is that you?" Rafi's voice called out.

"Yes, it is!" she called. "Where are you?"

"I'm not sure," Rafi replied in a worried voice. "My glasses got lost during the quake and I can't see anything."

Etna looked around. "Everything's pitch black here," she muttered. "We could really use some light in here."

" _Piiiiiikachuuu!_ "

Suddenly the whole cavern was lit up, making Etna flinch at the sudden brightness. Then she lowered her hand and saw Pikachu bounding towards her, his tail shining like a beacon. She then saw Rafi feeling around on the floor, Lucky and Leafeon sticking by his side and Grovyle examining the cave.

"Rafi!" Etna called, running up to him. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not," Rafi panted, still feeling about. "Where could my glasses have gone? I can't see without them."

"Let me guess, Zubat-vision?" Etna sighed.

"Yeah," Rafi muttered. "It happened when I was quite young. Those glasses were very helpful to me. If I lose them, I'll never function well, not to mention my dad would probably kill me."

"I think I remember seeing your glasses landing on your Chespin," Etna remembered. She looked around, but all she could see were Lucky, Floette, Grovyle and Pikachu. "You guys haven't seen the other Pokémon, have you?"

" _Pika, pika,_ " Pikachu replied sadly, his ears drooping down.

" _Leaf-ee_ _,_ " added Leafeon glumly.

Grovyle smiled in sympathy and patted the Verdant Pokemon's head gently.

"I see." Etna sat next to Rafi and patted his shoulder. "Well, don't worry. I'm sure the others are close by. Maybe your Chespin's with them."

Rafi felt around until he found Etna's hand and grasped it tightly. "Please don't leave me here alone."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Etna replied, helping him up as Lucky bounded onto his shoulder "Let's go find your glasses."

She carefully led him out of the cavern, Pikachu bounding ahead with his glowing tail and Grovyle and Leafeon walking either side of them.

* * *

In yet another new cavern, Quinn and Marianne found themselves alone with Torchic, Ampharos, Delphox, and Floette.

"Come in, Tristan, do you read me?" Quinn called through his Morpher's communicator. "Electra, are you okay? Rafi, please respond."

But all he got back was static.

"It's no use," he sighed, turning to Marianne. "We're too deep underground to get a signal. I can't reach anyone."

"They have to be alive, right?" Marianne asked in concern.

Torchic trotted over and rubbed his head against Marianne's arm. " _Torchic, chic?_ "

Ampharos also looked worried, thinking about her trainer.

"Don't worry," Quinn smiled. "We'll find Tristan and the others. I'm sure they're okay."

" _Floette_ _,_ " said Floette.

Delphox came up to Ampharos and patted her shoulder. " _Delphox, del._ "

Ampharos smiled a bit. " _Amphar._ "

"In the meantime, we have to find a way out of here," Quinn said, looking around the cave.

"How?" Marianne asked. "We don't have any Pokémon that know Dig. The only one who can is Tristan's Sandslash, and who knows where he is."

"I didn't say we needed just Sandslash." Quinn took out his device and started tuning it.

"What is that thing?" Marianne asked.

"It'll scan the area for the type of Pokémon I need in this situation. Now, if I set it to pick up Pokémon that know how to dig or tunnel..." Just then, his device started beeping. "Ah, there we go. There should be some Pokémon ahead."

"You can find Pokémon with that thing?" Marianne gasped.

"Yep, perks of being a Pokémon Ranger. And I don't mean this type." Quinn tapped on his Morpher. "Now, the Pokemon won't stay there for long. Follow me."

As they set off down the tunnel, Marianne looked around in concern. "I sure hope the others were as lucky as us..."

* * *

"Knights of Order, come in!" Gurkinn called at the base, but there was no reply. "Dammit, no response."

Lucario frowned. Just after the last call, he'd sensed the Knights disappearing into the tunnels and he'd been unable to locate them since.

"Whatever monster's out there, our friends are in trouble." Gurkinn snatched up some Natu Orbs and ran for the Transportation Door. "Come on, old friend, we have to get out there."

Setting the coordinates into the Door, Gurkinn set off through the light, Lucario at his heels.

* * *

"Heliolisk, Quick Attack!" Clemont shouted.

At his command, Heliolisk dropped to the ground and charged, bashing the Ducklett and sending it flying back.

"Now finish with Thunderbolt!" Clemont yelled.

Opening up its frill, Heliolisk fired an electric blast that zapped Ducklett and knocked it out.

"Ducklett is unable to battle!" Bonnie announced. "The winner of this match is Clemont!"

"Aw man," the young man sighed, recalling his Ducklett. "Good try, though, buddy. Take a good long rest."

"A very good battle, my friend," Clemont called. "Better luck next time."

"Yeah, I'll train myself a little harder," the man smiled, heading back to the elevator. "Next time, that badge will be mine."

"Looking forward to it." As the man took the lift down, Clemont turned to Bonnie. "Good job judging this match."

"No problem," Bonnie replied, jumping off the podium. "Shall I see who's battling us next?"

"Sure, go ahead," Clemont said, recalling his Heliolisk.

Bonnie pressed the lift button and a few minutes later, a young purple-haired woman stepped out, dressed in a smart black dress, a purple shawl and black heels.

"Welcome to the Lumiose Gym," Clemont called. "Are you ready to start our battle?"

"Oh, I'm not here for a fight," the woman said in a sultry voice. "I have come with a proposition from my master. He's heard quite a lot about your work."

"Is that so?" Clemont asked suspiciously. "And which particular part of my work is this master of yours interested in?"

"Well, apart from keeping this old place running, I have reason to believe that you've made a few clever little gadgets," the woman explained. "And my master would like to have one of your gadgets, specifically the Knight Morphers."

Suddenly Clemont was on the alert. "How do you know about those? I never told anyone!"

The woman smiled as she stepped closer. "No, but my friend guessed you were helping them when he saw the Knights of Order outside your Tower a few weeks ago. And that was before he got shot by one of your weapons!"

"Clemont, what is she talking about?" Bonnie asked.

"Allow me to show you..." Suddenly the woman was covered in a thick black fog before emerging as a Gothitelle-like being with the head and wings of a Venomoth.

Bonnie screamed in terror and ran behind Clemont. "A monster!"

"You're one of Yvestros' minions, aren't you?" Clemont cried, bunching his fists.

"My name is Mothitelle," the Poké-Mutant replied. "And from now on, you'll work for us! Sleep Powder!"

She flapped her wings and sent a cloud of blue dust at Clemont and Bonnie. Both of them coughed loudly before collapsing to the floor.

Mothitelle then snapped her fingers, summoning three KrokoViles to her side. "Grab them, I'll search for the Morphers."

As two KrokoViles grabbed Clemont by the arms and a third lifted Bonnie onto its shoulders, Mothitelle located the hidden elevator and using her Psychic powers, overrode the system, making it lower her all the way to the basement. Once there, she spotted a Morpher lying on the desk next to a set of plans. With a smile, she walked over and snatched them up.

"My Lord, Phase One is complete," she reported to Yvestros through her telepathy as she came back to the Gym. "Returning to base."

* * *

Back underground, Tristan, Electra, Spiky, Roselia, Sandslash, and Poliwrath made their way down the tunnel, searching for the others, which wasn't easy in the dark. Tristan had to feel his way along the wall while Electra clung tightly to his shoulder. Soon at the end of the wall, they stopped.

"Uh oh, looks like we reached the end of the tunnel," Tristan said, looking up at the steep slope. "So this must be where we fell from. We're not getting out this way."

"Don't you dare say that! We can still climb it!" Electra ran up to the slope and tried to climb up it. But the soil wasn't strong enough to hold her and she slid back down again. "Oh, it's hopeless. We're never getting out of here."

"I didn't say we were stuck here," Tristan smiled. "Sandslash, time to Dig!"

" _Slash!_ " With an eager cry, Sandslash dived at the soil and started tunneling through it.

"Why didn't you do it back there?" Electra asked.

"Sandslash can't dig through stone, it'll break his claws. Now let's get going, this tunnel should lead us either to the surface or to the others. Either way, we'll be out of here in no time!"

Electra looked down at the tunnel and saw how deep and, more worryingly, how dark it was. "We have to go through there?!"

Tristan looked at her in shock, but it soon changed to sympathy when he saw her expression. "Oh, I see. You're terrified of the dark, aren't you?"

Electra nodded slowly. "It was pretty obvious, wasn't it?"

"Sandslash, keep going in there. Let us know when you reach the surface," Tristan called through the tunnel. He then sat down next to Electra. "Now I know why you voted for the long way round at the entrance."

"Yes, I've been scared of the dark ever since I was a child," Electra admitted meekly.

"What happened?"

Electra took a deep breath to steel herself. "Okay, you remember I mentioned that I lived in Azalea Town at the Johto Region before my family moved to Kalos?"

"Yeah," Tristan nodded.

"Well, one day when I was small, I was playing in my garden and this little Pichu popped out of the bushes," Electra explained. "I thought it was really cute so I chased after it. Without even knowing it, I had gone outside my yard and all the way into the middle of Ilex Forest before Pichu disappeared. And as I was just realising that I was alone, the sun went down and everything went dark. I didn't know where to go or if my parents knew where I was. After a while of looking, I sat down and cried for what felt like hours."

"Gosh," Tristan breathed. "However did you get out?"

"While I was crying, the Pichu I was chasing came back. It used Flash to light up the darkness around me, and then led me out of the forest and back home. Since then, Pichu has been my close friend and also my nightlight."

"So that's why your Pikachu sleeps with you," Tristan realised. "But wait a minute, you have other Electric Types on your team. Surely they also know Flash?"

"I never bothered to train them to," Electra admitted. "The only other Pokémon on my team that does is Ampharos, for when I'm camping outside."

Tristan put his arm around Electra's shoulders and squeezed them tight. "Oh, Electra, if I had known you were so scared of the dark, I would have decided to take your way round too." He then lifted her head up and looked at her. "I seem to remember you telling me that it's okay to be scared sometimes. We're all here for you, Electra, so you don't have to be afraid of anything with us here, huh?"

Electra smiled and wiped her eyes. "Thanks, Tristan, that was really sweet of you."

"What are friends for?" Tristan beamed.

At that moment, Sandslash poked his head out of the burrow. " _Slash, slash!_ "

"Hey buddy," Tristan cried, getting to his feet. "Did you find the way out?"

" _Slash,_ " Sandslash replied with a nod.

"Great! Come on, guys, let's get out of here." Tristan picked up Spiky and Roselia and climbed into the burrow, Poliwrath, and Electra right behind them.

* * *

Elsewhere in the caverns, Quinn, Marianne, Torchic, Delphox, Ampharos, and Floette were still following the directions that Quinn's device was leading them. Just then, Quinn held up his hand. "Stop!"

"What is it?" Marianne asked.

"Up ahead," Quinn replied, pointing down the tunnel. "Listen."

Marianne did, and soon she heard some noises echoing up ahead. " _Diglett, dig. Diglett, dig. Diglett, dig._ " " _Dugtrio, trio, trio._ "

"Those are Diglett and Dugtrio," Marianne realised.

Quinn looked around the corner and spotted a small group of Diglett and a few Dugtrio scurrying around the cavern. "Quite a number of them, too. And they're just what I need."

Marianne reached for one of her Poké Balls, but Quinn turned and stared at her. "What are you doing?"

"Normally, I'm a Water Pokémon Trainer," Marianne replied. "But this is a bit of an emergency, so I'll make an exception."

"You can't catch a Pokémon for a one-time use," Quinn scolded. "That's unfair to them." He held up his Capture Stylus. "Let me show you how a Pokémon Ranger does it. Capture Disc, go!"

With a flick of his wrist, Quinn launched a small top at a Diglett and Dugtrio. Marianne watched as Quinn lifted his device and spun it around, directing the top around the two Pokémon and drawing a series of circles around them. After a few spins, the circle flashed out and the top spun back to Quinn. "Success!"

"Wow!" Marianne gasped. "That was amazing!"

Quinn flipped the device up into the air, caught it and hooked it back onto his belt. "Now that I've obtained them, these guys will help us get out of here." He turned to the captured Diglett and Dugtrio. "Care to tunnel us out of here?"

" _Diglett, dig!_ " " _Dugtrio, trio, trio._ " The two Pokémon went up to the wall and started burrowing through the soil.

"Let's go." Quinn picked up Torchic and went into the tunnel with Delphox and Floette. Marianne set off after them and Ampharos brought up the rear.

* * *

With no Pokémon that could dig on their side and no sign of the others, things were looking less optimistic for Rafi, Etna, Lucky, Pikachu, Grovyle, and Leafeon. But still, they kept pressing on.

"How far have we gone?" Rafi asked, still clinging to Etna's hand.

"I don't really know," Etna admitted. "I'm sure how deep this tunnel goes, or who made this."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, earlier, the cave was completely stable but then this earthquake hit, your leader mentions a monster in the area, and next thing you know, we're underground," Etna explained. "Maybe that monster had something to do with our predicament."

At that moment, the tunnel started to shake again. Pikachu jumped back in shock, Lucky clung tightly to Rafi's shoulder and Grovyle and Leafeon tensed themselves for battle.

"What's happening?" Rafi cried, looking around blindly.

Suddenly, the wall ahead of them split open and a shadowy figure burst out, landing in the tunnel. Etna looked up and by the light of Pikachu's tail, saw that the figure looked like a cross between Rhyperior and Excadrill.

"Is someone out there?" Rafi called out.

Etna tried to silence him, but too late. The monster turned around and spotted them. "Aha!" it sneered, raising its claws. "So I did manage to catch some of the Knights of Order after all."

"Get away from us!" Etna yelled.

"Etna, who are you talking to?" Rafi asked.

"I am Rhyperius," the monster replied. "And it's time I buried you completely!"

* * *

In the main Connecting Cave, Gurkinn and Lucario reached the area where Etna and the Knights had fallen, staring at the hole in the floor. "This is where they were last seen," Gurkinn assumed. "But what happened to them?"

Lucario closed his eyes and examined the aura for a moment. " _Lucar, lucario._ "

"You've found them?" Gurkinn cried. "Where?"

Lucario pointed at a nearby hole just as Sandslash poked his head up and clambered out, followed by Tristan, Spiky and Roselia then Electra and Poliwrath.

"Phew, we made it!" Tristan sighed.

"Light!" Electra cried, bathing in the dim shine. "Oh, glorious light, I missed you so!"

"Oh, hey Gurkinn," Tristan said, spotting the Fighting Knight and Lucario. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, as a matter of fact," Gurkinn replied. "When you didn't answer your communicators, I got very concerned. Where are the others?"

Just then, a Diglett and a Dugtrio poked their heads up through the ground. Moving to one side, they revealed a second tunnel from which came Quinn, Delphox, Torchic, Floette, Marianne, and Ampharos.

" _Torchic!_ " A happy Torchic leapt out of Quinn's arms and ran over to Tristan and Sandslash.

"Roselia!" Quinn ran up and grabbed Roselia in a big hug. Floette did a happy twirl in the air, landing on Quinn's head.

"Poliwrath!" Marianne cried, running up to her Water Pokémon.

" _Amphar!_ " Ampharos bounded over and cuddled Electra close.

"Oh, Ampharos!" Electra sobbed with joy. "Don't ever leave my sight again, you hear?"

Quinn turned to the Diglett and Dugtrio. "Thank you for your help. Now go back to your families."

With a nod and a smile, Diglett and Dugtrio dived back into the ground.

"Yes, yes, I'm glad you're back together," Gurkinn cut in, spoiling the happy moment. "But isn't there still someone missing?"

"Oh right." Tristan looked down at Spiky then at the glasses in his hand. "Rafi and Etna are still missing."

"So is Pikachu," Electra added.

"And Grovyle and Leafeon too," Quinn finished. "But they could be anywhere underground."

Gurkinn looked down at the larger hole. "There is one chance." He took out a Natu Orb, set some coordinates and then tossed it down the hole. "I hope to Arceus that it works."

* * *

Rhyperius raised his claws and swung them out. Etna ducked down, pulling Rafi down with her. Grovyle fired a barrage of glowing seeds from his mouth, driving the monster back. Leafeon helped with his Magical Leaf while Pikachu zapped him with Thunderbolt and Lucky yelled out with Hyper Voice.

With a growl, Rhyperius swung out again, smacking Grovyle and Leafeon back against Pikachu and Lucky. "This has been fun, but now it's time to end this!"

Etna held Rafi close as Rhyperius stomped towards them.

Just then, a glowing green ball fell into the tunnel and rolled along the ground under Rhyperius' feet. As he took another step, he stood on the ball and stumbled back, throwing it at Etna, Rafi, and the Pokémon.

"What's happened now?" Rafi asked.

"Some glowing green ball fell down and saved us," Etna replied, picking it up.

"Glowing green ball?" Rafi gasped. "Quickly, throw it at our feet!"

"What?"

"Just do it!"

By then, Rhyperius was back on his feet. Etna threw the ball at her feet, creating a flash of light that dazzled the Poké-Mutant. When he opened his eyes, they had gone.

* * *

Meanwhile, the other Rangers had gone outside the cave and were waiting back on Route 7.

"Where are they?" Tristan asked in concern.

" _Chespin,_ " Spiky moaned, his head spikes drooping.

"Don't worry," Quinn said confidently. "They'll be here."

At that moment, there came a sudden flash of light that made them cover their eyes. When it faded, they saw Etna, Rafi, and the rest of the Pokémon shaking their heads.

" _Pika, pika!_ " Pikachu bounded over to Electra and jumped into her arms.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" Electra sobbed.

"Grovyle! Leafeon!" Quinn knelt next to his Pokémon in concern. "Thank goodness. You're not hurt too badly, are you?"

Leafeon shook his head and Grovyle gave him a thumbs up.

Delphox ran over to her trainer and held out her paw, lifting Etna to her feet. " _Delphox?_ "

"Yeah, I'm okay," Etna replied. "Glad to see you are, too."

"Rafi!" Tristan cried as he and Spiky ran over to him. "Are you okay?"

"Tristan, is that you?" Rafi asked, looking around.

"Here, I think you might need these." Tristan handed him the glasses and Lucky brushed away the dust with her tail before Rafi put them on.

"Guys!" Rafi cheered as soon as he could see. "Thank Arceus it's you!"

"What was that ball?" Etna asked.

"It was my Natu Teleport Orb," Gurkinn replied. "I took quite the risk throwing it down to you." He then held out his hand to Etna. "I think we might have met before, but I'm Gurkinn."

"Of course I remember," Etna said, shaking his hand. "You gave me my Mega Ring and my Charizardite during my first journey. So you're the leader of the Knights of Order?"

Before Gurkinn could reply, the ground split open as Rhyperius burst out, landing before them. "Ah, there's the rest of you," he growled. "It's time to end this!"

"Who's that guy?" Marianne gasped.

"His name's Rhyperius," Etna replied. "He's the one who tried to trap us underground."

"Well then, let's deal with him!" Tristan, Gurkinn and the others pressed their Morphers' buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

Etna watched in amazement as six glowing beams of light shot out of their Morphers, rose up into the air and then crashed back on the Knights, forming their armor. "That's awesome!"

"Stay with the other Pokémon, Etna," Quinn ordered. "Let us handle this guy!"

"Don't have to tell me twice," Etna agreed, leading the Pokémon away.

"Weapons of Order, engage!" Gurkinn yelled.

As Rhyperius charged at the Knights, Marianne washed him back with her Water Cannon. Quinn and Gurkinn then jumped in, striking at his armor with the Leaf Dirks and Claw Blades. Rhyperius knocked them back with a swing of his claws then jumped up and dived back into the ground.

"Uh oh," Tristan gasped, looking all around. "Where's he gonna pop up next?"

"Keep your eyes and ears open," Gurkinn said.

The Knights looked around the field, trying to guess where the Poké-Mutant would appear. But Etna was the one who spotted the cracks first. "Rafi! He's targeting you!"

Rafi had only a second to look down and see the cracks at his feet before Rhyperius burst out under him and threw him off his feet.

"Rafi!" Tristan yelled, running towards his friend.

Not stopping his Drill Run, Rhyperius turned and streaked towards Tristan, who narrowly jumped aside. Then he tunnelled back underground again.

"This guy is tricky," Quinn noted. "How can we fight something that can hide in plain sight?"

Marianne raised her Water Cannon again. "Etna, where's he gonna come out?"

Etna looked around until she spotted the cracks again. "There, behind Tristan!"

Quickly Tristan jumped out the way and the second Rhyperius emerged from the ground, Marianne fired another jet of water, knocking the Poké-Mutant out of the air and sending him crashing to the ground. "Got him!"

Electra took advantage of the situation by running up to Rhyperius and swinging her hammer down, smashing up his claws.

"OOWWWWWW!" Rhyperius screamed, pulling his mangled hands back.

"That was for trapping me underground!" Electra snapped.

"He can't get away now!" Gurkinn cried. "The Justice Blaster should finish him off!"

"Let's go for it!" Tristan shouted.

"Water Cannon!" Marianne held her weapon out.

"Feather Bow!" Rafi stuck his weapon underneath the Blaster.

"Leaf Dirks!" Quinn stuck his daggers on either side of the barrel.

"Thunder Hammer!" Electra stuck her weapon at the back.

"Fire Sword!" Tristan put his sword on top of the Blaster.

"Claw Blades!" Gurkinn locked his blades at the base of the Bow. The tip of the sword opened up, as did Electra's hammer and Quinn's daggers, forming extra barrels.

"Justice Blaster, active!" Gurkinn cried, holding up the weapon as the others ran behind him.

Wounded though he was, Rhyperius stood up to face the Knights.

"FIRE!" Gurkinn yelled.

In an instant, the Blaster launched its energy beam, striking Rhyperius hard. The Poké-Mutant let out a final scream of pain before falling into one of his holes and exploding.

"And stay down!" Tristan cheered.

* * *

"Not again!" Sabelteur moaned. "Where's Mothitelle when I need her?"

"She's only just got back from her special mission," Sharphound replied. "I doubt she has the strength needed to fly out there."

"Forget it, that monster at least did its part," Yvestros said, rubbing his hands together. "Everything is in place now for our next move..." He looked at a screen, showing Clemont and Bonnie lying fast asleep in a cell. "And these two are going to help us!"

* * *

"Isn't it strange that we've just faced two monsters in a row without needing our PokéZords?" Tristan asked the others.

"Yes, it's not like Yvestros to give up so easily," Gurkinn agreed, rubbing his chin in thought. "Anyway, Lucario and I had better head back to Base. We'll keep an eye out for any other strange activities." With that, he took out a second Natu Orb and threw it on the ground, teleporting him and Lucario away.

"Is that really how you get around?" Etna asked.

"No, we also have a Transportation Door," Marianne replied. "It's a much smoother ride that those Orbs."

"I should have a word with him about making a better mode of transport," Etna decided.

"In the meantime, we'd better get going," Rafi said. "With the floor collapsed, we'll have to find another way through the caves to get to Cyllage City."

Tristan glanced over at Electra, noticing her nervous expression, then turned back to the others. "Actually, I think we should take the long way round."

The others looked at him with puzzled faces.

"Well, after being stuck underground, I just feel like a nice fresh sea breeze," Tristan explained. "What do you say, guys?"

"You're the leader, Tristan," Rafi said. "On to Ambrette Town then!"

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky replied.

As the gang set off through the caves and taking the other route down, Electra pulled Tristan aside. "Thanks, man."

Tristan smiled. "Like I said, what are friends for?"

* * *

 **And there we go. I know there will be some people who are going to be disappointed by the fact that there wasn't any PokéZord action in the last two episodes but do not fret.**

 **On that note, here is the big announcement: next chapter will be the start of the Evil Poké Ranger arc.**

 **As usual, I'm willing to take any suggestions for monsters.**

 **See you then**


	13. Enter the Dragon Knight, Part 1

_Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _The Knights, accompanied by Etna, arrived at Connecting Cave, on their journey to Cyllage City. But before they could reach the end of the caves, a new monster, Rhyperius, caused an earthquake that separated the team. While underground, Tristan learned about Electra's fear of the dark, Marianne experienced Quinn's Ranger capturing skills firsthand, and Etna had to guide Rafi after he lost his glasses. With a little help from Gurkinn, the Knights were reunited and were able to destroy Rhyperius. But while they were doing that, Mothitelle kidnapped Clemont and Bonnie and stole some of his designs for the Knights, preparing for a fateful moment..._

* * *

Chapter 12: Enter the Dragon Knight, Part 1

As Clemont began to wake up, he could hear strange voices speaking nearby.

"So is everything going according to plan?"

"Yes, my Lord. Sabelteur's Spydove has been situated at the Cyllage City Gym. It'll soon find a worthy trainer for our needs."

Slowly, Clemont opened his eyes and found himself lying in a cell at the back of a vast throne room. As he sat up, he saw that his hands were cuffed together and his backpack was removed.

Suddenly a Bisharp-like creature with the face of a Houndoom appeared at the cell bars. "My Lord, our guest is awake."

Clemont gasped and crawled back from the Mutant, but then he saw a far more terrifying figure, one with the head and wings of Yveltal, rising from the throne, and he couldn't help but let out a horrified scream.

"Be silent!" the Yveltal figure demanded. "Prostrate yourself before the glorious sight of Yvestros, once and future ruler of Kalos!"

"W-Where am I?" Clemont panted, looking around the cell. "W-What's going on here?"

"You are now in the imperial palace of Lord Yvestros," Mothitelle replied, stepping into view next to Sharphound. "And we need your superior mechanical skills to help us conquer Kalos."

"What?" Clemont cried, getting to his feet.

"We know of your involvement with aiding the Knights of Order," Sharphound explained. "When I came to kidnap and destroy their leader, it was outside your Gym. And you must have made the weapons that led to my humiliating defeat, as well as the destruction of all our monsters since then."

"And now we have the means to take them on with their own weapons," Mothitelle went on. "Fight fire with fire, if you will."

"Never!" Clemont snapped. "There's no way I'll ever work for a monster like you!"

"I'm sorry to hear that," Yvestros sneered. "No, wait, did I say sorry? I meant glad. Because my KrokoViles had been waiting a very long time for their next meal..."

As he turned around, Clemont saw a horrible sight. A whole gang of KrokoViles were gathered around a small cage in the middle of the room. And inside the cage was... "Bonnie!"

"Clemont!" Bonnie screamed in terror. "Get me out of here!"

"You monster!" Clemont yelled at Yvestros. "She has nothing to do with all this! Let her go!"

"Only if you agree to work with me and finish the task," Yvestros replied. "I need you to build me a very special machine for my newest minion and some artillery too. And remember: if you refuse, sabotage the work or even attempt to escape, your little sister will become my soldiers' big dinner. Do I make myself clear?"

Glancing across at Bonnie for a moment, Clemont sighed and bowed his head. "I'll do it."

"Splendid!" Yvestros clapped his hands and Mothitelle pulled on a large chain, lifting Bonnie's cage out of reach of the KrokoViles. Meanwhile, Sharphound opened the cell, lifted Clemont to his feet and frogmarched him down the corridor.

"Brilliant work, Mothitelle," Yvestros chuckled. "We're ready to advance."

"But my Lord, what about the Lumiose Gym?" Mothitelle asked. "Surely it'll seem suspicious that the Gym Leader will be missing."

"I've already planned for that," Yvestros replied. "While Clemont was asleep, I had Sabelteur extract some of his DNA as well as some of his life force. He's now using to create a replica that will take his place for the time being."

"And I've just finished now," Sabelteur chimed in, coming into the room. "May I present... Clemlisk!"

The newest monster was human-sized, dressed in the same blue clothes as Clemont. But he had the face and tail of a Heliolisk.

"But he hardly even looks like that boy," Mothitelle pointed out.

"Not until I've put my Gem of Disguise on him." Sabelteur took out a glowing blue gem on the end of a chain and hung it over Clemlisk's neck. Faster than anyone could blink, his body shimmered until he took on the appearance of Clemont.

"What is your bidding, my Lord?" he asked in the same voice as Clemont.

"Perfect!" Yvestros smiled. "Now, I need you to wait at the Lumiose Gym and keep challenging anyone who enters. You have the original Clemont's memories, so you know how his Pokémon can fight. Keep up the ruse until we are ready to conquer Kalos."

"Understood, my Lord," Clemlisk replied.

* * *

The journey took about two days, with some stops for Rafi to find and catch a new Pokémon, but at last, the Knights and Etna had reached Cyllage City. The town was situated between the cliffs and the beach, under the shadow of a mountain. Some youngsters rode through the streets on bicycles.

"Finally, we made it!" Tristan cheered.

"Yeah," Rafi cried. "Our next badge is within our grasp!"

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky added.

"Eager to get going, huh?" Etna chuckled. "Alright, follow me. The Gym is this way."

She led the Knights up the cliff path to an entrance built into the mountain. Inside, they found a tall rocky peak dotted with climbing walls.

"Whoa!" Tristan and Rafi gasped in amazement.

"Yep, it's pretty cool," Marianne agreed.

"My hands still feel calloused from climbing it," Electra smiled.

A young man approached the group. "Hello there," he called. "How may I help you?"

"We'd like to ask the Gym Leader to a battle," Tristan replied. "My friend Rafi and I need to get our next badge as soon as possible."

The man frowned. "Well, I'm sorry to say that Grant is already facing a trainer right now." He pointed at a screen. "See for yourself."

Etna and her friends looked up as the screen switched on. It showed an image of the arena at the top of the peak. At one end was Grant, a dark-skinned man wearing a black shirt, grey pants, and colored gems in his hair. In the centre of the arena, a Tyrunt lay knocked out at the feet of a Gogoat. And at the other side was a young woman with purple hair that reached down to her waist and green eyes, dressed in a strapless knee-high dress and sneakers.

"Tyrunt, return!" Grant said, recalling his Pokémon. "You're doing great, madam. But now it's time to chill out. Amaura, let's go!"

In a flash of light, Amaura appeared, ready for battle.

"Okay, Gogoat, let's finish this quick," the woman said with a smile.

"I don't believe it," Marianne gasped. "It's Camille!"

"So it is!" Quinn breathed.

"Oh yeah," Electra said, staring at the screen.

"You know her?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah, she was one of the toughest trainers around," Marianne replied. "I got to know her when I fought in the Unova League. I only got as far as the semi-finals, but she made it all the way to the Top 2."

"I met her in the Johto League," Electra went on. "She made it much further than me, all the way to the finals."

"I heard that she was the first trainer to defeat Cynthia, the Sinnoh Champion," Etna said.

"I saw her once during my training in Almia," Quinn said. "She helped us in our final push against Team Dim Sun."

"Gogoat, Horn Leech!" Camille called on the screen.

Gogoat's horns began to glow green as it charged towards Amaurus.

"Amaura, hit him with Aurora Beam!" Grant said calmly.

Amaura opened its mouth and fired a glowing rainbow beam, striking Gogoat and driving him back.

"Now trap him with Rock Tomb!"

Amaura summoned glowing rocks from the ground and launched them at Gogoat, trapping him.

"And finish with Take Down!"

Lowering its head, Amaura charged forward and rammed into Gogoat, knocking him out.

"Gogoat, no!" Camille gasped.

"Gogoat is unable to battle," the judge announced. "Amaura wins this round."

"Well, that was to be expected," Etna said with a knowing nod. "Grass-Types never stand much chance against Ice."

Tristan watched as Camille recalled Gogoat and took out another Ball. "The question is, what is she gonna use next?"

"Garchomp, let's go for it!" Camille called, throwing out her ball.

Rafi and Tristan both gasped in shock as Garchomp appeared on the arena with a loud roar.

"Is she insane?" Rafi cried. "A Dragon-Type against an Ice-Type? She's never gonna win!"

"Don't be so sure," Marianne argued. "Let's just see what she's planning."

"This battle's going to be quick," Grant declared. "Amaura, Aurora Beam!"

Amaura fired another rainbow beam from its mouth.

"Garchomp, time to go underground!" Camille yelled.

At her command, Garchomp jumped into the air, avoiding the beam, and dived into the ground. Amaura ran to the middle of the arena, looking around carefully.

"Keep your ears open for Garchomp," Grant warned. "He could come out at any time."

Camille just stood calmly, biding her time. Then when Amaura turned around, she called out, "Now Garchomp, Brick Break!"

In an instant, Garchomp burst out of the ground, one winglike blade glowing, and swung out, striking Amaura and dealing some serious damage.

"Rock Tomb now!" Grant yelled.

Amaura stood up and summoned the rocks again, throwing them at Garchomp.

"Dodge them and then go for Dragon Rush!" Camille called.

Garchomp leapt into the air, swerving around the rocks as his body began to glow purple. Then he dived out of the air and smashed right into Amaura, throwing it across the arena into the side of a boulder. When the dust settled, Amaura lay still, knocked out from the battle.

"Amaura is unable to battle," the judge declared. "The winner of this match is Camille from Pallet Town!"

"Yes, we did it!" Camille cheered.

" _Garchomp!_ " cried her Pokemon.

"That was incredible!" Tristan gasped. "She could be one of the greatest trainers ever!"

But even as Tristan made that announcement and Camille went to accept Grant's Gym Badge, up in the rafters of the Gym, a Pidove observed the scene with glowing red eyes...

* * *

In Yvestros' lair, Mothitelle and Sharphound viewed the images on the screen, rewinding it back to Tristan's words. " _She could be one of the greatest trainers ever! ...one of the greatest trainers ever! ...greatest trainer ever!_ "

Yvestros rewound the images further until it came to a stop on Camille's face. "Yes, she's the one we want. Sabelteur, is there anything more we need to know about her?"

"As a matter of fact, there is." Sabelteur typed for a bit on their computer and spun the monitor around. "I managed to hack into the database on an old evil team from Kanto, Team Rocket. And there's quite a bit of info on that girl that I think you should see."

Yvestros glanced over the text on the screen, and the more he read, the bigger he grinned. "Very interesting..."

* * *

The Knights stood by the elevator in the Gym, watching the numbers count down. When the elevator hit ground floor and the doors opened, revealing Camille inside, Marianne and Electra ran up to her. "Surprise!"

"Oh my goodness!" Camille gasped, stepping out the elevator. "It's you! Marianne Brooke and Electra Fielding! My old friends from the Pokemon League!"

"Long time no see, huh?" Electra smiled.

"Oh indeed," Camille laughed, hugging Electra close.

"Hey Camille, it's been a while," Marianne said.

"Yes, it has," Camille agreed, hugging her too. "So good to see you again!"

"Hey, Camille, you haven't forgotten me, I hope?" Quinn spoke up.

Camille's smile widened further. "Quinn Westwood, you dashing young Ranger. You're here too?"

"Yeah!" Quinn beamed, shaking Camille's hand. "Great to see you."

"You too," Camille said. "I haven't seen you since Team Dim Sun's fall at Almia." She then looked at Tristan and Rafi. "Hello there, I don't think I've met you before. I'm Camille Jefferson."

"Hi, I'm Tristan Mitchell," said the Fire Ranger.

"And I'm Raphael O'Donovan," added Rafi. "But my friends call me Rafi. And this is my Minccino, Lucky."

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky cried.

"And this is Etna Langstrom," Quinn added, bringing Etna over.

"I think I know you," Camille said. "You're one of the newest Dukes at the Battle Chateau, right?"

"That's right," Etna replied.

"So what brings you guys here?" Camille asked. "Are you here to take on Grant too? Well, except you, Quinn."

"No, Electra and I already have our badges," Marianne replied.

"Been there, done that," Etna added. "We're here to support Tristan and Rafi. They started their adventure just a while ago."

"Is that so?" Camille smiled at Tristan and Rafi. "Well, I hope to compete against you in the Pokémon League soon."

"I'm looking forward to it," Tristan replied eagerly.

"Say, Camille, are you gonna stay around long?" Quinn asked. "I'd love to catch up with everything you'd been up to."

"Sounds good," Camille said. "I'll just head to the Pokémon Center to heal up my Pokémon and then do some training along Route 10. Meet you at the hotel later?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Marianne replied.

"See you then," Camille called, heading out of the Gym.

"Well, I'm going up to face Grant," Tristan announced, heading towards the climbing walls. "You coming, Rafi?"

"Yeah, I think I need to train up my Pokémon a bit," Rafi decided. "You go on ahead, I'll come by later."

"I could help you train if you want," Etna offered.

"Let's head down to the beach," Marianne suggested. "Some of my Water Pokémon could use a little exercise."

"Yeah!" Electra agreed. "It's been too long since I rested on the beach."

"Alright!" Rafi agreed. "Let's get going."

* * *

Outside the city, Camille had reached Route 10, examining the hundreds of stone columns that dotted the field. She had heard a number of rumors about the columns, one of which made her very sad. "The gravestones of Pokémon who died in battle three thousand years ago," she whispered, rubbing her hand on one of the stones. "Such a tragedy in those times." She then turned away with a smile. "But I can't stop to worry about that. Let's see what Pokemon are out here."

" _Eevee!_ "

At that moment, an Eevee bounded out of the long grass, followed by a Houndour who was barking madly.

"Uh oh, that's not good." Camille looked down at her Poké Balls for a moment then shook her head. "No time to call them, I'll have to help that Eevee myself."

With that, she pelted after the two Pokémon. Once she'd caught up with them, she jumped forward and tackled the Houndour, pushing it away from the Eevee and against the side of a rock. Hearing the commotion, Eevee stopped and turned around. " _Vee?_ "

Houndour struggled in Camille's grip until it pulled its head free to turn around and bite Camille on the arm.

"YEOOWWW!" Camille gasped, pulling her arms back. Houndour jumped to its feet and rounded on her, teeth bared.

Just before Camille could grab her Poké Balls to fight back, Eevee charged in and Tackled Houndour away from Camille. As Houndour started to stand up, Eevee jumped up and winked an eye, sending a glowing pink heart out at Houndour. As the heart hit, the Fire-Type's eyes turned into hearts and it started to blush.

"This Eevee knows Attract?" Camille gasped. "That's impressive." Getting to her feet, she snatched up the Eevee and ran the other direction.

Once she was a good distance away from the Houndour, Camille stopped and put the Eevee down. "I don't know what happened back there or why that Houndour was chasing you, but you're quite a good fighter. Would you like to come with me on my journey?"

" _Eevee!_ " cried the little Pokemon, wagging its tail.

With a smile, Camille took out an empty Poké Ball. "Okay then, welcome aboard." With that, she tapped the ball against the Eevee's head, absorbing it in with a flash of red light. The ball shook once, twice, three times... then the button flashed red, indicating a successful capture. Then the Poké Ball shrank down to a smaller size.

"You're my seventh Pokémon," Camille noted, putting it away. "I'll rearrange my team at a Pokémon Center once I'm done with Quinn." She looked at her watch. "I should get going in any case. I think I've spent enough time here."

"Going so soon?" came a sinister female voice. "But I've been expecting you for a while now."

Camille spun around, looking for the source of the voice. "Who's there? Where are you?"

"Up here."

Looking up, Camille spotted a humanoid figure standing on one of the stone columns. The figure jumped off and floated gently to the ground. Now Camille could see that the figure had the head and wings of a Venomoth and the body of a Gothitelle.

"Who are you?" Camille yelled, clenching her fists.

"I am Mothitelle, loyal servant of Yvestros, Lord and Master of Kalos and soon the whole world. And my master has a great need for your services."

"My services?" Camille asked suspiciously. "What possible use could I be to you?" She looked at Mothitelle more closely. "Wait a second, you're one of those monsters that attacked Santalune Gym, aren't you?"

"So you've heard of me?"

"Yes, Viola described you in very morbid detail. And she also mentioned how those Knights of Order managed to kick your sorry butts."

"They got lucky!" Mothitelle snapped before composing herself. "But that's about to change. You see, after so many losses, my master has decided that the only thing that could defeat those goody-two-shoes Knights of Order is an evil Knight of Destruction."

Camille scowled. "If you think I'm going to help fight the Knights of Order, you're out of your mind!"

"That's too bad." Mothitelle snapped her fingers and two KrokoViles appeared, grabbing Camille's arms. "Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way."

With that, she summoned a cloud of smoke, transporting her, Camille and the KrokoViles away...

* * *

Quinn tapped his fingers on the table as he looked around the hotel lobby. "Where is she?" he wondered out loud. "She should have been here by now."

After another five minutes, he got up and left the hotel.

* * *

"Sandslash, Dig!" Tristan called.

Dodging Tyrunt's Bite, Sandslash dug into the ground. As Tyrunt looked around, Sandslash burst out of the ground under its feet, throwing it up.

"Now finish it with Crush Claw!" Tristan shouted.

Sandslash's claws flashed white as he swung them down, striking Tyrunt and knocking it out.

"Tyrunt is unable to battle," the judge announced. "Sandslash is the winner!"

"Don't feel bad, Tyrunt," Grant muttered, returning his Pokémon to its ball. "You have a good rest."

"Way to go, Sandslash," Tristan called. "We're doing well."

"Don't get your hopes up yet, my friend," Grant warned. "'Cos you still have to face Amaura." He threw out his second Poké Ball, summoning Amaura into the arena.

"This will be quick," Tristan smiled. "Sandslash, go for Dig again!"

"Not this time!" Grant called. "Amaura, Rock Tomb now!"

Before Sandslash could even touch the ground, Amaura summoned some glowing rocks that dropped into the arena, trapping Sandslash firmly.

"Sandslash, get out of there!" Tristan yelled.

"Now Aurora Beam!"

Amaura launched a rainbow beam that struck Sandslash, freeing him from the rocks but also knocking him out.

"No, Sandslash!" Tristan gasped.

"Sandslash is unable to battle. Amaura wins this round."

As Tristan recalled Sandslash, Grant smiled. "A good attempt with Dig, but I learned my lesson from Camille."

"I don't have much else to handle Amaura," Tristan muttered, taking out another Poké Ball. "But I have to trust my friends in this. Torchic, let's go!"

In a flash of light, Torchic appeared, fluffing out his feathers. " _Torchic!_ "

"A Fire-Type against a Rock-Type?" Grant laughed. "Well, now this match will most definitely be over quick!"

* * *

Meanwhile, the others were having a relaxing moment on the beach. Marianne was in her white costume, Electra now wore a bright yellow costume with black stripes, and Etna had changed into a red bikini patterned with yellow flames. While Electra rested in the sun and Marianne went swimming with her Pokémon, Etna had taken Rafi aside for some pre-Gym training.

"Okay, Rafi, let's see what you've got," Etna said.

"Okay." Rafi took out three Poké Balls and threw them out. "Come on out, everyone."

One by one, each of his Pokémon appeared on the beach. First Orville, then Spiky and finally his newest catch, a Clauncher.

"Hmm..." Etna looked the Pokémon over. "I think it's fair to say that your Pidgeotto's not the best choice against Grant. Rock-Types are very strong against a Flying-Type."

"So that means the others should be good, right?" Rafi asked.

"Not exactly," Etna argued. "Lucky doesn't have any attacks that could beat Grant's Pokémon. Spiky could do well against Tyrunt, but Amaura would wipe it out instantly. And as for your Clauncher, uh, what did you call him again?"

"Claude, because of the claws," Rafi replied.

"Right. You've only just caught Claude, you don't even know what attacks he can do. I think we'd better train him up a little bit, to build up a little bonding session between you two."

At that moment, Quinn came down to the beach, looking concerned.

"Hey, Quinn!" Electra called, sitting up on her deckchair. "How did it go with Camille?"

"That's just it, I didn't see her," Quinn replied. "I waited at the hotel for half an hour and she didn't show up."

"Well, maybe she's been caught up with something big," Etna assumed. "Maybe she's found some new Pokemon to capture."

"Until Tristan comes back, can we work out a good battle strategy?" Rafi asked. "I need to train up my Pokemon if I need to face Grant."

"Sounds good," Marianne replied, coming out of the water. "I'll get some of my Pokémon out to help you train Claude."

"And I've got a few moves that I think Lucky could use," Electra added.

"Sounds good," Rafi said.

Quinn didn't respond; he just looked back at the hotel. "Wherever you are, Camille, I hope you're okay..."

* * *

In fact, Camille was anything but okay. Right now, she was stuck in a cell in an unknown castle, waiting for some time. Her Poké Balls had been removed from her and she had no means of contacting the outside world.

After a while longer, two KrokoViles approached the cage, followed by a Bisharp with the face of a Houndoom. "Our master would like to see you now."

Camille stood up and glared at him. "Well, that's too bad. I'm not ready to see him yet."

"Such defiance," Sharphound smiled, opening the cell. "We certainly picked a winner here. Our master would most definitely benefit from such a tough person as you."

"You wanna see tough? How's this for size?" Camille cried, delivering a powerful punch on Sharphound's snout.

With a growl, Sharphound lashed out with his bladed glove. Dodging the attack, Camille grabbed his arm and flung him forward into the wall of her cell.

The two KrokoViles moved in next, baring their teeth at her. Camille jumped over the first one, missing its sharp teeth, then bounced off its back and flying-kicked the second one, sending it back.

"Hate to leave this party short, but you've not been a good host!" she yelled over her shoulder as she ran down the corridor.

Soon she emerged into a massive chamber. "Where the heck am I?" she wondered out loud. "Doesn't matter anyway. I have to get out of here!" With that, she ran towards what she hoped was the way out.

"DARK PULSE!"

Suddenly, Camille was struck from behind by a powerful blast that threw her to the floor. As she lay still, twitching in pain, a figure emerged from the shadows; a human with the face and wings of Yveltal.

"Leaving so soon?" the figure chuckled nastily. "But I so wanted to get to know you."

"A-Are you Yvestros?" Camille gasped.

"Lord Yvestros to you!" Mothitelle snapped, materializing behind her. "Remember his name as you will be working for him now!"

"Never!" Camille snapped, getting to her feet. "You might as well kill me now!" With that, she raised her arm up to punch Yvestros.

Ducking to one side to avoid the attack, Yvestros raised one giant wing and slapped Camille hard, throwing her against the wall. As she lay winded, Mothitelle grabbed Camille's arm and strapped a strange device around her wrist.

"What is this thing?" Camille gasped, glancing at it.

"It's your new Morpher," Yvestros replied. "Your tool to help you in your task. Mothitelle, please show her how it works."

"With pleasure, my Lord." Mothitelle pressed the top right button on the device. "Destruction's Shadow, activate!"

Instantly, the device began to spark wildly. Camille cried out in agony as a burning sensation pierced through her head and she fell back down, gripping her head with both hands.

Yvestros and Mothitelle watched as a purple light shot out of the device, shaping itself into a dragon that breathed purple fire over Camille. When the fire and light faded, Camille was now wearing a dark purple suit of armor that had a yellow breastplate marked with the symbol of a dragon's head. A pair of gray gloves with sharp blades on the wrists formed on her arms and pointed teeth appeared on her shoulders and legs. The dragon light then shrank down onto her head, transforming into a Garchomp-themed helmet with two bumps on the sides and a star-shaped visor.

"Arise, my Dragon Knight!" Yvestros commanded.

Slowly, Camille lowered her hands and got to her feet. Then she turned to look at him. "How may I serve you, my Lord?" she asked in a dark sultry whisper.

"Excellent!" Yvestros cheered. "Now your task, my dear Knight of Destruction, is to hunt down the Knights of Order and do whatever it takes to destroy them completely."

"Understood, my Lord," Camille replied without hesitation.

Sabelteur approached her, carrying a small pistol in one hand and a massive double-headed axe with a Garchomp pattern in the other. "These weapons will help you serve your purpose," he said, handing them over. "Your Elemental Blaster can shoot bolts of Dragon Fire, and this is your special Weapon of Destruction, the Garchomp Dual Chopper."

"Now go," Yvestros commanded. "Head back to Cyllage City and find the Knights. You should know each of them by name, so let them know who their destroyer will be!"

"At once, my Lord!" Camille replied.

Yvestros flapped his wings, sending her away in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

Back at Cyllage City, Etna, Marianne and Electra had taken Rafi to a different part of the beach, ready to begin their training.

"As we've discovered," Etna started, "Orville might not be the best Pokémon for this Gym, which just leaves Claude, Spiky and Lucky. But Claude is still new to your team and we need to learn what attacks he knows. Spiky has helped you win your first badge so he's raring to go. And as for Lucky, she doesn't look like she's done any Gym battling at all."

"So what do we do?" Rafi asked, eager to learn.

"Well, I'm an Electric-Type trainer as you know," Electra replied. "Normally my Pokémon would not have made much impact on them, but I learned a few tricks to fix that and I can teach them to you if you want."

"Please show me!" Rafi pleaded.

"Very well." Electra took out a Poké Ball and threw it up. "Pikachu, come on out!"

In a flash of light, Pikachu appeared, landing next to Lucky. " _Pika!_ "

"Alright, Pikachu, we're gonna help Lucky out," Electra said. "Let's show her how to use Iron Tail."

" _Pika!_ " Pikachu bounded towards a nearby rock, his tail shimmering into a steel appearance. " _Chuuuuuuu! Pika!_ " He then swung his tail around, smashing the rock into tiny pieces.

"Whoa!" Rafi gasped. "That was amazing!"

" _Mincci!_ " Lucky agreed.

"Like it, huh?" Electra smiled. "Well, let me show you how I taught it to Pikachu." She picked up a large piece of stone, drew out a long string and tied the stone to one end and the other on Lucky's tail. "Now, Lucky, I want you to lift this rock using only your tail. Rafi, do push-ups alongside her and keep her motivated."

Rafi got down and started his push-ups. Lucky did the same, struggling to lift the stone with her tail. "Come on, Lucky! I know you can do it!"

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky grunted, pulling as hard as she could.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Knights' base, Gurkinn was giving the PokéZords a quick check over. He'd been worried that the lack of use for the last few battles would have a negative effect on their machinery. He was busy checking the hydraulics on the Blaziken Zord when Lucario came running up, an urgent look on his face. " _Lucar! Lucar! Lucario!_ "

Gurkinn lowered his tools and looked round. "What's the matter, old friend?"

" _Lucar!_ " Lucario waved his paw to follow him and ran towards the main screen.

As Gurkinn came up behind him, Lucario placed his paw on the scanner and an image appeared on the screen.

When Gurkinn saw it, his eyes widened and his legs began to shake. "No... it's impossible..."

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, Quinn walked down the streets, looking around for any sign of Camille. He'd asked all around; in the Pokémon Center, in the cafe, in the boutique. But nobody had seen her for a while.

"Darn it, where could she be?" he muttered as he reached the exit out to Route 10. "Something must have happened to her. I'd better get out there and find her quick."

"Looking for someone?" came a new voice.

Quinn whirled around, raising his fists. "Who's there? Come out now!"

"My, my, you're a feisty one, aren't you? That's a fine way for a Pokémon Ranger to act."

"I'm not afraid to face you!" Quinn yelled. "Now show yourself!"

With a laugh, the voice's owner stepped out of the bushes. Quinn gasped as he saw who it was. "No way! You're a Knight of Order!"

"More than that, in fact, I am the Dragon Knight of Destruction," the figure replied. "I have more power than you could possibly have, Quinn Westwood."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know everything about you and your friends," said the new Knight, drawing out a large double-headed axe patterned like a Garchomp. "And I have orders to destroy you all, in the name of Lord Yvestros!"

"What?!" Quinn cried.

The Dragon Knight didn't reply; she just raised her axe and swung it round. At the last second, Quinn ducked his head, avoiding the blow only to receive a powerful kick in the stomach that knocked him down.

"Come on, fight me!" the Dragon Knight yelled. "Show me what the so-called 'Knights of Order' can do!"

Gritting his teeth, Quinn raised his Morpher and pressed the button to morph. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

A gust of wind and leaves blew out of his Morpher and swept over his body, forming his armor.

"Leaf Dirks, engage!" Quinn yelled, summoning his weapons and charging at her.

The Dragon Knight used her axe to block the attacks then pushed Quinn backwards to the ground and raised it again. Quinn rolled aside and ran towards the stone columns. "Come and get me!"

"Get back here!" the Dragon Knight yelled, running after him.

After getting a good distance, Quinn climbed up one of the columns and hid as much as he could. The Dragon Knight came into view moments later, looking around impatiently. "Where did you go? You can't hide from me!"

As she walked off, Quinn reached for his Morpher again. "I can't take her on alone. I'd better call the others."

* * *

"Torchic, hit him with Ember!" Tristan commanded.

Running forward, Torchic launched fireballs from his beak, striking Amaura and dealing some serious damage.

"Hang in there, Amaura!" Grant yelled. "Hit him with Rock Tomb!"

Amaura summoned another barrage of glowing rocks, hurling them out at Torchic.

"Dodge it quick!" Tristan called.

Torchic ran around the arena, doing its best to avoid getting hit. Just as it looked like the attack was ending, Torchic tripped and fell on his face and before he could get up, the Rock Tomb fell around him, pinning him to the ground.

"Oh no!" Tristan gasped. "Torchic, get out of there!"

As he watched Torchic struggling to pull himself free, Tristan failed to notice that his Morpher's communicator was beeping...

* * *

"Alright, now let's see how strong Lucky's tail has gotten," Electra said after a few minutes of workout.

Marianne had released her East Sea Gastrodon to help out. "I'll get my Gastrodon to fire some Mud Bombs and you get Lucky to hit them back with her tail. Then you can get the rest of your Pokémon to help you too."

"You ready for this, Lucky?" Rafi asked.

" _Mincci!_ " Lucky replied eagerly.

"Okay, Gastrodon, let's get started," Marianne said. "Use Mud Bomb!"

Gastrodon opened its mouth and fired a large ball of mud.

"Okay, Lucky, go for it!" Rafi ordered.

Lucky jumped up and swung her tail around, hitting the Mud Bomb back.

"Now Claude, show us one of your Bubble Beams!"

Claude raised his larger pincers and fired a barrage of bubbles at Lucky, who hit them back with her tail.

"Spiky, Pin Missile!"

Spiky spat out some glowing white spines at Lucky. This time, as she hit them back, her tail started to glow.

"There we go!" Etna cried. "You've done it!"

"Yeah!" Rafi cheered. "Way to go, Lucky!"

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky threw up her fist.

"Okay, now let's train up Claude," Marianne decided, recalling her Gastrodon.

Just then, they heard their Morphers beeping loudly. "This is Quinn. Please respond immediately!"

"It's our communicators," Electra gasped, switching hers on. "Electra here."

"Come to Route 10 at once," Quinn yelled. "I'm under attack!"

"By who?" Marianne asked. "Another one of Yvestros' monsters?"

"No! By a new Knight of Order who's working for Yvestros!"

"WHAT?!" the other Knights gasped.

Gurkinn's voice then came through. "Knights of Order, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Gurkinn, we're here," Marianne replied, still reeling from Quinn's news. "Well, most of us, anyway."

"What's going on, Gurkinn?" Rafi cried. "You never told us there was a seventh Knight of Order!"

"That's because there wasn't supposed to be!" Gurkinn explained. "The other twelve medallions were lost over a thousand years ago when Yvestros killed the original Knights who possessed them!"

"Well, news flash, one of them has been found!" Quinn called. "And you guys better get over here f-"

"There you are!" came a completely new voice.

"Oh crap!" Quinn yelled. "Hurry, guys, I need your-" Then the line went dead.

"Quinn?" Electra cried. "Quinn!"

"We have to help him!" Etna declared.

"But what about Tristan?" Rafi asked worryingly. "He's still fighting Grant."

"We'll have to do it without him," Marianne decided. "Gurkinn, could you try to contact him?"

"I'll do my best," Gurkinn promised. "Be careful, Knights, there's no telling how powerful this Knight is under Yvestros' control. Gurkinn out."

"Come on, guys!" Marianne cried, leading the charge down the beach once they'd recalled their Pokémon. "Let's go meet this new Knight!"

* * *

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **And thus begins my Evil Poké Ranger arc. I've planned to make this a multi-episode affair, not just a short stint where the Evil Ranger becomes good. There's a whole lot of history to Camille that will be revealed over the course of this arc, and I'm gonna have some fun with this.**

 **Camille is another character who belongs to D.J. Scales.**

 **I'm still open for monster suggestions, but some will have to work alongside Camille as well.**

 **See you then**


	14. Enter the Dragon Knight, Part 2

_Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _The Knights and Etna arrived at Cyllage City and proceeded to the Gym in time to see Grant defeated by a very well-known trainer to Quinn, Marianne and Electra; Camille Jefferson. But Yvestros also has eyes on Camille for her incredible battle strategies and her mysterious past. Having kidnapped Clemont to work for him and replaced him with an impostor at his Gym, Yvestros captured Camille and using a tampered Morpher, corrupted her mind as his very own Knight of Destruction! Camille made her evil debut by attacking Quinn as he was looking for her on Route 10. Quinn managed to contact the other Knights, but with Tristan in the middle of his Gym battle with Grant, the others are forced to go in without him..._

* * *

Chapter 13: Enter the Dragon Knight, Part 2

"Well, news flash!" Quinn called on his communicator, still hidden on the stone column. "One of them has been found! And you guys better get over her f-"

"There you are!"

Quinn looked round and saw the Dragon Knight standing at the foot of the column, axe ready to swing. "Oh crap! Hurry, guys, I need your-"

Before he could finish, the Dragon Knight swung her axe around and sliced right through the stone column like a knife through butter. As the column started to topple, Quinn nearly lost his balance but he managed to jump clear and landed safely on the ground. "Whoa," he gasped, looking at the clean cut stone as it fell. "She's stronger than I thought..."

"You thought your little game of hide-and-seek could protect you?" the Dragon Knight gloated, approaching Quinn. "I am far more superior than you or any other Knight of Order."

"Then why are you doing this?" Quinn asked, getting to his feet. "You're one of us! You should be fighting Yvestros, not working for him. Please, our leader can explain things to you. We can help you if you just listen to us."

"The only thing I'm going to do is destroy you all! And that's what Yvestros wants me to do!" With that, the Dragon Knight pulled out a pistol and pointed it out.

"An Elemental Blaster?" Quinn gasped. "But where did you get that?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The Dragon Knight pulled the trigger, firing a blast of purple light. Quinn jumped out of the way to avoid the shot and dived behind a column as she fired again and again.

"You cannot hide from me this time, Quinn!" he heard her shout.

Quinn panted hard as he crawled through the long grass between the columns, not daring to peek out in case she shot his head off. "Come on, guys, where are you?"

* * *

Tristan watched helplessly as Torchic struggled under the weight of the rocks, desperately trying to escape. "Come on, Torchic, you can do it!"

"I commend your determination," Grant called. "But you're obviously outclassed so you might as well forfeit this match."

"No way!" Tristan shouted. "I know we can win! Torchic may be down, but he is by no means out! And I have the strongest confidence in him."

Hearing the speech, Torchic strained all the harder, pushing the rocks off his body.

"That's it, Torchic!" Tristan yelled. "We can win this!"

Finally, Torchic pulled himself free and stood, ruffling his feathers. " _Torchiiiic!_ "

Suddenly, his body began to glow blue. Tristan gasped in amazement and Grant and Amaura just stared in silence, watching the Fire Pokémon's appearance change. Finally, the light faded, revealing a powerful Combusken, flexing his arms. " _Combusken!_ "

"Alright!" Tristan cheered. "My Torchic's evolved into Combusken!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Rafi, Marianne, Electra and Etna were running as fast as they could through the streets of Cyllage until they reached Route 10.

"Where is he?" Electra asked, scanning the field.

"This route, the Menhir Trail, is quite large and those columns make it like a maze," Etna said. "They could be anywhere."

Rafi raised his Morpher and switched on his communicator. "Gurkinn, any chance that Lucario can help us find Quinn?"

"As a matter of fact, he's observing the battle now," Gurkinn responded. "He's just three miles north-west of your current location."

As Etna and the Knights set off in that direction, Marianne asked, "Any news from Tristan?

"Not yet," Gurkinn replied. "But I'll keep trying until I get to him. Gurkinn out."

"Come on out!" came the new voice they'd heard earlier. "Stick your head out so I could shoot it!"

"That's her!" Marianne gasped. "And Quinn must be nearby!"

"We'd better morph!" Rafi decided. "He'll need some back-up!"

Etna stepped back as Rafi, Marianne and Electra pressed the buttons on their Morphers. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The elements of Flying, Water and Electric burst out of the Morphers and collided with their bodies, forming their armor.

"Weapons of Order, engage!" Marianne cried.

As the weapons appeared, Etna took out two Great Balls. "I may not be a Knight of Order, but I'll help out in any way I can! Pyroar, Infernape, let's go!"

She threw out the balls and out came a female Pyroar and an Infernape.

"Alright, team, let's move out!" Marianne called, leading the charge.

* * *

"Our opponent may have evolved, but let's not be put off!" Grant called. "Amaura, Take Down!"

Amaura lowered its head and charged at Combusken who also ran forward, his body wreathed in flames, and crashed into the Tundra Pokemon and pushing it back.

Tristan quickly looked up Combusken's move in his PokeDex. "That was Flame Charge. And let's see what else he's got."

"Rock Tomb again!" Grant called.

"Dodge it quickly, Combusken!" Tristan shouted.

As the rocks came flying again, Combusken jumped into the air and landed on the rocks, using them as floating stepping stones to get closer to Amaura.

"Now go for a Double Kick!"

As he reached the last stone, Combusken leapt off and dived at Amaura, kicking it hard first on the left side and then on the right.

"And finish with Flame Charge once more!"

Combusken dashed in, his body wreathed in flames, and tackled Amaura so hard that it flew out the arena and crashed into the wall of the Gym. As the dust settled, Amaura was stuck in the wall, knocked out.

"Amaura is unable to battle!" the judge declared. "The winner of the battle is Tristan from Hoenn!"

"Yahoo!" Tristan cheered, running into the arena and grabbing his Pokémon in a hug. "We did it, buddy! We've got our next badge!"

" _Combusken!_ " his newly-evolved Pokémon replied.

"Well, I have to admit, you truly believed in your Pokémon," Grant smiled, coming up behind them. "And I certainly didn't expect your Torchic to evolve. What I can say is that the Cliff Badge is now yours."

Tristan took the badge but as he was about to celebrate, his Morpher began to beep.

"What's that sound?" Grant asked.

"Uh, I have to take this," Tristan said hastily, running towards the elevator with Combusken. "Thanks for the badge. Bye!"

As soon as he entered the elevator, Tristan answered the call. "This is Tristan. What's happening?"

"Finally!" Gurkinn cried. "I've been trying to reach you for the last ten minutes."

"Sorry, I was caught up in a Gym Battle." Tristan pressed the ground floor button, sending the elevator down. "What's going on?"

"Your friends have been caught up in battle," Gurkinn explained. "But it's not with a Poké-Mutant this time, but by a Knight of Order working for Yvestros!"

"What?" Tristan gasped. "But I thought we were the only Knights of Order."

"So did I, until now," Gurkinn admitted.

"But how is this possible? I get that Yvestros found one of the missing medallions, but they can't work without the Morphers surely?"

"You are correct. In the past, the original Knights would simply give their cry and the medallions' magic would allow them to transform. But a thousand years of inactivity had rendered their magic virtually useless. That's why I got Clemont to make the Morphers to help reignite their powers."

"So if the medallions could only work with the Morphers, and Clemont was the one who invented them, that would mean that the only way an Evil Knight could exist..."

"...Is that Yvestros must have stolen one of the Morphers!" Gurkinn finished in shock. "You're right, Tristan! Something might have happened to Clemont for this theft to occur. I have to go see if he's alright."

"Okay, I'm done with the Gym now," Tristan replied as he stepped out of the lift. "I'll meet up with the others and try to help them out."

"Be careful though,"Gurkinn warned. "A Knight of Order on the wrong side could be very dangerous, not just against us but the whole of Kalos. Gurkinn out."

* * *

"Quinn, come out and play!" the Dragon Knight called in a sing-song voice, strolling by the columns. "Don't be shy, I only want to destroy you!"

"Not if I stop you first!" Standing on top of a column, Quinn took out his Elemental Blaster and fired a few shots at the Dragon Knights, driving her back.

In retaliation, she raised her gun and shot back. Unable to dodge, Quinn was hit in the chest and thrown off the column, crashing back on another rock.

"Very clever, but not good enough," she hissed, approaching Quinn with her Blaster aimed at his head. "And here I was, hoping for a real challenge..."

"Then how's about this for size?"

As the Dragon Knight started to turn, she was hit full force by a charging Infernape, throwing her to one side. Quinn looked up and saw Rafi, Marianne, and Electra running up to him, followed by Etna and her Pyroar.

"What took you so long?" Quinn sighed, getting to his feet.

"Glad to see you're alright," Rafi said.

"Only just," Quinn admitted. "A few seconds later and it would have been it for my Knight career."

Suddenly, Infernape was thrown back into the air, crashing into the long grass. The Knights and Etna turned as the Dragon Knight came back into view.

"So you're the new Knight, huh?" Marianne asked, raising her Water Cannon.

"That I am," the Dragon Knight replied in sultry tones. "So pleased to meet you, at last, Marianne Brooke."

"How did she know your name?" Rafi gasped.

"I know everything about all of you Knights of Order." The Dragon Knight pointed at the other Knights. "Raphael O'Donovan and Electra Fielding." She then looked at Etna. "You, on the other hand, are not one of them. Where is your noble leader?"

"Listen, you don't have to fight us," Marianne called, ignoring the question. "You're a Knight of Order like us, please don't do this."

"Don't bother," Quinn cut in. "I've already been there, done that, got the brush-off."

"Your offers have been good," the Dragon Ranger agreed. "But Yvestros already has my contract and I'm not going to let him down." She raised her axe again. "So that said, time to DIE!"

"Pyroar, Flamethrower!" Etna yelled.

Pyroar shot out a stream of fire from her mouth, striking the Dragon Knight full blast. But when the fire faded, she was still standing, her armor barely smoking.

"She's not even seared!" Rafi gasped.

"Is that the best you've got?" the Dragon Knight scoffed. "Pathetic. Now it's my turn! Dragon Claw!"

She raised her gloves, which started to glow, and she surged in, bashing Rafi with one hand and punching Electra with the other. Etna's Pokémon both ran in to attack her, but she swatted Infernape aside and then kicked Pyroar back at Etna, throwing her to the ground unconscious.

"Leave Etna alone!" Marianne yelled.

Quinn charged in with his Leaf Dirks while Marianne jumped forward in a kick. The Dragon Knight crossed her arms together and spun on the spot like a top, throwing up a cloud of dust. When the dust faded, all that was left was a gaping hole in the ground.

"Was that Dig?" Electra gasped.

"Who is this Knight?" Marianne cried out in frustration. "She knows our real names, she has the same weapons as we do, she's stronger than any of us, and she can use Pokemon attacks! What exactly are we dealing with here?"

"Focus, Marianne," Quinn called. "She could pop out again at any moment. We need to be prepared."

Even as he spoke, the ground began to shake under Electra's feet.

"Look out!" Rafi yelled, pushing her aside.

Seconds later, the Dragon Knight burst out of the ground, both fists raised, and ploughed right into Rafi's chest, throwing him into the air. Then she kicked him back down again, sending him crashing to the ground. Rafi lay still, groaning in pain, his armor beginning to spark.

"Rafi!" Marianne screamed.

The Dragon Knight landed gently on the ground, putting her hands on her hips as she turned to the others. "Face it, guys, I'm much better than any of you. So you might as well give up."

Marianne gritted her teeth, though no one could see it because of the helmet, and she raised her Water Cannon. "We'll never surrender to you!" With that, she fired a jet of water.

Just before it hit, the Dragon Knight jumped into the air and landed on a stone column. "Very well. Dragon Pulse!"

She clapped her hands together hard, creating a purple shockwave that struck Marianne hard, throwing her back against a column.

Quinn and Electra stared at Marianne in alarm then turned to face the Dragon Knight.

"She's wiping the floor with us!" Electra cried. "What are we gonna do?"

* * *

Gurkinn emerged from the Transportation Door and found himself facing the Prism Tower in Lumiose City. "If Clemont's Gym has been invaded, then everyone in there is in trouble. I have to hurry!"

As he ran closer, the doors slid open. Gurkinn raised his fists, ready to face whatever monster emerged from inside.

But instead, a young man came running out, carrying a badly wounded Ducklett in his arms. "Just hang in there, buddy," he comforted. "I'll get you to the Pokemon Center."

"Hey, wait!" Gurkinn called, attracting the man's attention. "What happened? Who did this to your Ducklett?"

"I just lost another battle to Clemont," the man replied.

Gurkinn raised an eyebrow. "Clemont's Pokémon did this?"

"Yes. I thought I had him this time." The man looked back at the tower with a frown. "Thing is, Clemont seemed a bit different than last time."

Gurkinn's other eyebrow went up. "Oh?"

"When I lost the first time, he encouraged me to do better. But this time, he just told me to go. I don't know what's going on, but Clemont has changed somehow." The man sighed and turned away. "Now if you'll excuse me, my Ducklett needs some medical attention."

As the man left, Gurkinn turned to face the Tower. "Changed... what does that mean?"

Determined to learn the truth, he stepped through the doors and went right into the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor.

Once the elevator opened its doors again, he stepped out into the Gym and looked around. Everything looked pretty much the same as his last visit, except that Bonnie didn't come over to greet him and Clemont was waiting on the other side of the Gym.

"Hello there," Clemont called. "Are you here for a battle?"

"No, Clemont, I just came here to warn you," Gurkinn replied, going up to him. "Yvestros has created a new Knight of Order to battle the others, and he's stolen some of your technology to do so."

"Is that so?" Clemont asked. "I need to increase the security in the Tower."

Gurkinn frowned. "I don't think you realise how serious this situation is. He didn't just take one of your measly little inventions, he stole one of your Morphers! It was vitally important."

"Aren't you the head of the Knights of Order? Then you should be out there looking for it instead of talking to me."

Hearing the stern tone in Clemont's voice, Gurkinn narrowed his eyes. "Then please allow me one last question before I go... Why are you not wearing your backpack?"

Clemont glanced over his shoulder then back again. "Uhhhh, it must have been stolen too. So get going and find it!"

"No, I don't think so."

With that, Gurkinn raised his arm and punched Clemont in the face, throwing him off the Gym floor.

"What the hell?" Clemont gasped, wiping a trail of blood from his nose. "What's gotten into you, Gurkinn?"

"I should be asking you the same question!" Gurkinn snapped. "You see, in the few years that I've known you, there are a few things I learned about you. One, working on the Knights' items was your most beloved project ever. Two, you always get defensive about your other inventions, no matter how many times they blow up or fail to work. Three, you've never raised your voice or made threatening tones at me. And finally, you never go anywhere without your backpack!"

"I-I've no idea what you're talking about!" Clemont stammered.

"And another thing: remember when I mentioned the break-in you had? You didn't seem that concerned that your most important piece of tech was the only thing stolen." Gurkinn folded his arms. "All of which tells me that you are not really Clemont. So come on then, who are you?"

For a moment, 'Clemont' didn't speak. Then he jumped to his feet and swung out his fist. Gurkinn blocked it with his arm and then punched 'Clemont' in the chest, feeling something shatter on his fist. As the fake Gym Leader fell back, his body began to flicker. Then his human features faded, revealing a Heliolisk head, claws and tail.

"Just as I suspected," Gurkinn cried. "Another monster of Yvestros. So where's the real Clemont?"

"I am Clemlisssk," the monster hissed with sinister snakelike tones. "And your preciousss friend, Clemont, isss now working for my Massster, Lord Yvessstrosss! And now that you know too much, I mussst dessstroy you!"

"Not likely!" Gurkinn raised his Morpher and pressed the button. "Order's Light, give-"

"Not sssso fasssst!" Clemlisk yelled. "Parabolic Charge!"

His frill opened up and he fired a powerful bolt of electricity at Gurkinn. The Fighting Ranger cried out in pain as the electricity coursed through his body, making his muscles tense up. Seconds later, the attack ended and Gurkinn crashed to the floor, panting heavily.

"You're sssstill alive, are you?" Clemlisk hissed, stepping closer. "But it doessssn't matter anyway." He lashed out with his tail and smacked Gurkinn against the wall. "I ssstill have enough charge to zap you again and again until you die. Parabolic Charge!"

Again the lightning shot out from his frill, striking Gurkinn. Again, an agonised scream was torn from his lips as electricity ripped through his body. And again, Gurkinn fell to the floor, his muscles convulsing like they were about to tear out of his body and his throat hoarse from yelling.

"Your master... will never... succeed!" Gurkinn barely managed to croak.

"With hisss very own Knight, he will!" Clemlisk gloated. "And even if the Knightsss of Order manage to esscape, they'll be nothing without your guidance! Now it'sss time to finish you off! Parabolic Charge!"

As Clemlisk prepared his final attack, Gurkinn mustered up the last of his strength to press his Morpher's communicator. "Lucario... emergency recall... protocols!"

Just before the final, fatal blow was about to hit, Gurkinn disappeared through a portal that appeared beneath him, landing back at the Knights' Base.

" _Lucario!_ " he heard his closest friend calling.

He barely summoned the strength to say, "Help... me... old... friend..." before blackness finally overwhelmed his senses...

* * *

Yvestros sat in front of his screen, watching as Camille blocked Electra's Hammer with her Dual Chopper then swung it around, sending the Electric Knight flying. "Such power... We definitely made a good choice with her."

"My Lord," Mothitelle called, stepping into the room. "I've just heard from Clemlisk. The Knights' leader visited him and saw through his disguise, but he held his own against him."

"Has he been destroyed?" Yvestros asked.

"Unfortunately, no. But he said he did manage to severely injure him. There's a chance that he might never recover."

"Even better," Yvestros chuckled. "With the leader out of the way, the fall of the Knights of Order is imminent."

 _Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Beep-beep!_

"Knight activity sighted!" Sabelteur called out, switching on another screen. "The Fire Knight has finally come to join the party!"

"Excellent,"Yvestros smiled. "Now all of them will see our Knight's true power!"

* * *

At that moment, Tristan had made it to Route 10 and was running in between the columns, trying to find the others.

He raised the Morpher up and activated his communicator. "Gurkinn, I'm here. Any idea where the others are?"

But there was no reply.

"Gurkinn, come in. Answer me!"

At that moment, he heard loud shots coming from nearby. Tristan looked up and spotted a purple Knight jumping onto a column and then off again. "Never mind, Gurkinn, I found them!"

"Just stop trying already!" came a new voice.

"That's not good!" Tristan pressed the morph button. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

Fire burst forth from his Morpher and swept down over his body, forming his armor.

"Hang on, guys! I'm coming!" Tristan called, running towards the battle.

As he arrived, he could see that his friends were in a bad way. Etna was lying still under her Pyroar and her Infernape was knocked out next to her. Rafi, Marianne and Electra were also lying motionless, their armor sparking madly. Only Quinn was still barely standing, facing up to the purple Knight he'd seen earlier.

"Quinn, I'm here!" Tristan yelled.

The new Knight turned to look at him. "Well, well, if it isn't Tristan Mitchell, the leader of the Knights of Odor!"

"That's the Knights of Order!" Tristan snapped.

"Not after I've seen that they stink at fighting me!" The evil Knight swung her axe around, taking out Quinn in one blow. "Now it's just you against me, the Dragon Knight of Destruction!"

Tristan went into a fighting pose. "I don't know who you are or why you're working for Yvestros, but there's no way I'm letting you destroy us!"

"Oh, relax. I won't destroy you yet," the Dragon Knight stated. "My master just wanted a demonstration of my power. Once he's satisfied with me, then I'll come and destroy you!"

"Then there's still a chance that I can stop you!" Tristan reasoned. "Fire Sword, engage!"

As his sword appeared, Tristan charged forward. The Dragon Knight raised her axe, blocking his attack. Tristan swung his sword again and again, but each attack was easily blocked.

"Child's play," the Dragon Knight laughed. "Now let's finish this! Dragon Rush!"

Her body was enveloped in purple light and she surged forward, pushing Tristan back so hard that he flew back against a column, smashing it to pieces. As Tristan landed, his armor flashed white and faded away.

"Huh, not much of a challenge, was it?" the Dragon Knight scoffed, slightly disappointed. "But no matter, now you guys know you're really dealing with! Next time, I won't be so merciful."

With that, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Tristan slowly climbed out of the rubble, shaking his head. "Ow, that really hurts."

One by one, the other Knights came to, each feeling sore from their battle. Etna pulled herself out from under Pyroar.

"Ohhh, my head," Marianne groaned. "That Dragon Pulse was something."

"My whole body aches something terrible," Electra gasped.

Rafi looked around and spotted Tristan. "Hey, looks like she got you too, huh?"

"Yeah," Tristan sighed. "I wasn't prepared for that."

"We would have been more prepared if you'd come sooner!" Quinn snapped, walking up to him. "What the hell were you doing that was so important?"

"I'm sorry, I was in the middle of a Gym battle when Gurkinn called!" Tristan retorted. "By the way, I won that badge, thanks for asking!"

"Who cares about that stupid badge?" Electra yelled. "We were getting our butts kicked out there!"

"Hey, quit yelling at Tristan!" Rafi shouted. "He came as soon as he could, okay?"

"Not soon enough, it seems!" Marianne cut in. "Did he stop for some coffee on the way out here?"

"EVERYBODY STOP IT!" Etna bellowed.

The Knights stopped quarreling and turned to look at Etna.

"None of us knew what to expect, alright?" Etna declared in a slightly calmer tone. "That Dragon Knight took all of us by surprise and as a result, she overwhelmed us completely. We need to focus now, not fall apart at this failure. You should be ashamed of yourselves."

The Knights swapped looks, and since Tristan was the only one demorphed, everyone could see that his look was one of shame.

"Dammit, she's right," Marianne sighed. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Tristan."

"Me too," Quinn added.

"Me three," Electra agreed.

"That's okay," Tristan muttered. "I'm sorry I took so long to get here. And Rafi, thanks for defending me."

"No biggie," Rafi replied. "So what now?"

At that moment, their Morphers started beeping again.

"That's Gurkinn!" Tristan cried, switching on his communicator. "Gurkinn, what's up?"

" _Lucar, lucario, lucar!_ "

"Lucario?" Marianne asked in confusion. "What's he doing on the communicator?"

" _Lucario, lucar, cario!_ "

"We can't understand you," Tristan called. "Where's Gurkinn?"

The call cut off.

"Hello?" Tristan asked. "He hung up."

Just then, a glowing light appeared on a stone column, forming into the shape of a door.

"What's that?" Etna asked.

"It's the Transportation Door," Electra replied. "Lucario must have summoned it."

Rafi, Marianne, Quinn and Electra pressed their Morphers' recall button. "Order's Light, return!"

In a flash of light, they demorphed.

"Let's go," Tristan said, leading the charge into the door.

* * *

"Excellent work out there, my dear," Yvestros laughed, clapping his hands. "Now those Knights of Order will think twice before they mess with us."

"Destruction's Shadow, return." Camille demorphed and bowed her head. "What shall I do next, my Lord?"

"At the moment, your last weapon against the Knights is still being worked on," Yvestros replied. "Clemont has been taking so long that I had Sabelteur come out and help him. So for now, you must lay low. You're still on your Pokémon journey, remember? You know what to do then, just like when you worked with Team Rocket."

"Understood, my Lord," Camille answered.

"Then you might want your Pokémon back for this," Sharphound added, handing out her Poké Balls.

"Oh, and if those Knights come up to you in their normal forms, do not engage with them in any way," Yvestros added. "We don't want them getting too close to you, do we?"

"No, my Lord," Camille replied.

"Good. Now I shall return you to Cyllage City. I'll summon you when I have need of you again."

* * *

When the Knights and Etna stepped through the door, they looked around the Base for any signs of trouble.

Etna was still reeling from the journey through the door. "Wow, this is how you guys get around?"

"Only when we're needed," Tristan replied. "Gurkinn doesn't want us using it for personal gain. That's why we walk to our destinations."

"Speaking of which, where is he?" Marianne asked Lucario.

" _Lucario,_ " the Aura Pokémon replied solemnly, pointing towards the beds.

"Oh no!" Electra gasped, running up to the beds. "Gurkinn!"

Etna and the others followed her, horrified at the sight. Gurkinn was lying on one bed, completely still except for the occasional muscle spasm. His eyes were closed, his breathing was shallow and parts of his skin were burned badly.

"What happened to him?" Quinn asked.

"It looks like he was attacked by something," Etna noted, examining the medical screen. "His vital signs don't look too good. Heart rate is high and his pulse is fluctuating."

"But who would do that to him?" Rafi asked.

"The last time I spoke to him, he said he was going to see Clemont," Tristan recalled.

Just then, Gurkinn began to stir. "Cl... Clemon..."

"Gurkinn!" Marianne gasped, sitting next to him. "Don't try to move! You've been hurt badly."

"No... Clemont... not here..." Gurkinn slurred. "Monst... attacked... too... power..." He then lay still again.

"What was that about?" Quinn asked.

"A mutant must have attacked him at Clemont's Gym," Etna assumed. "But why?"

"I don't know," Tristan sighed. "But with that Dragon Knight still out there and Gurkinn out of action, we haven't got a chance against her!"

* * *

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Phew, things are really getting tense right now. Will Gurkinn ever recover? Can the Knights of Order defeat the Dragon Knight? Or will Yvestros finally claim victory over Kalos?**

 **Until then, see you soon**


	15. Enter the Dragon Knight, Part 3

_Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _Quinn found that he was no match against the mysterious Dragon Knight. Rafi, Marianne, Electra, and Etna did their best to help him, but the Dragon Knight completely overwhelmed them. Even Tristan, who managed to win his Gym Battle, didn't last long against her before she disappeared to fight another day. Meanwhile, Gurkinn went to Lumiose Gym to see if Clemont was alright, only to confront his mutant doppelganger, Clemlisk, who severely injured him with his electric attacks. Now with Gurkinn completely out for the count and the Knights unable to defeat Camille, things are looking pretty grim..._

* * *

Chapter 14: Enter the Dragon Knight, Part 3

Far away from any human habitation, deep in the depths of a dark, secret forest, two lone figures met in the shadows, unseen by human or Pokemon eyes.

" _You felt the disturbance too, didn't you?_ "

" _Yes, Yvestros has been revived and the world is falling out of balance again._ "

" _It's been happening for a while now. Santalune Forest was the first to fall._ "

" _So many of us died out there. I felt their pain and anguish, like a thousand voices calling out and then suddenly silenced._ "

" _What of the Knights of Order?_ "

" _They have been doing their best, but I sense that they are in terrible despair. Their leader is dying and one of them has been turned against them._ "

" _What can we do?_ "

" _We have no choice, brother. For the sake of the world order, we have to go out there and aid them in any way we can._ "

" _Do you know where they are based?_ "

" _In the Tower of Mastery, outside Shalour City._ "

" _Then we must make haste. I shall go to Shalour City to meet the Knights of Order. Meanwhile, you must seek out the one who's turned against us. Remember, no one but the Rangers must know of our involvement in this war._ "

" _Yes, my brother. Let us go._ "

And with that, the figures took on new shapes and set off on their respective destinations.

* * *

Tristan kicked Gurkinn's chair aside in frustration. "This is so stupid!"

"Calm down!" Marianne snapped, sitting on the bed next to the comatose Gurkinn. "This isn't helping at all!"

"But look at us!" Tristan yelled back. "We're supposed to be Kalos' noble defenders, and we just lost to one of our own! Not to mention that we've lost Gurkinn!"

"He's not dead yet," Etna pointed out, checking his vital signs on the scanner. "He seems to be coping well, considering his severe electrocution. And until he's recovered, you still need to protect the region."

"And how exactly do we do that?" Tristan asked.

"Well, we know what Gurkinn was doing before," Rafi recalled. "He went to Lumiose City to check on Clemont and next thing we know, he gets beaten up by something there."

"So we need to take it on ourselves," Quinn finished, smacking his fist against his hand. "And find out if Clemont is alright."

"And what if we end up like Gurkinn?" Tristan retorted. "Then what?"

"Gurkinn was on his own when he came," Electra countered. "If we went in there as a team, we might stand a better chance."

"Come on, Tristan," Rafi pleaded. "I know things look bad right now, but we can't just give up. If we do, then Yvestros will have already won and everything our ancestors had fought for would be all for nothing. Isn't keeping the balance of the world the main reason we joined the Knights of Order in the first place?"

Tristan sighed, releasing his anger in one breath. "You're right, Rafi. If Gurkinn was awake, that's exactly what he would've wanted us to do."

" _Lucario!_ " said Lucario.

"Glad to see you agree with me," Tristan smiled.

"So what's our next move?" Electra asked.

"Like you said, we need to find out what happened to Gurkinn," Tristan said. "So, Quinn, Electra and I will go back to Lumiose City and investigate the Gym."

"Hey, wait a second!" Marianne cried. "Why aren't we all going?"

"Clemont is the Electric Gym Leader," Electra replied. "So it's possible that Yvestros sent an Electric Pokémon hybrid over to the Gym."

"And I don't want to take a chance on this one," Tristan continued. "In case you've forgotten what happened the last time you fought an Electric Poké-Mutant."

"No need to remind me," Marianne shuddered.

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Rafi asked.

"You, Etna and Lucario will stay here in case Gurkinn should wake up again," Tristan said. "And keep an eye for any sign of the Dragon Knight. If she shows up again, you call us immediately."

"Got it," Etna replied.

"Okay, Lucario," Tristan ordered. "Set the coordinates on the Transportation Door to Lumiose City Gym! We're going on a mutant hunt!"

* * *

"My Lord!" Sabelteur called. "We have a problem!"

"What?" Yvestros cried, rising angrily from his throne. "For the first time in a thousand years, I've gained a victory over the Knights of Order. What sort of events from this could possibly be a problem?"

"I-It's the Lumiose Gym, my Lord. It's been closed." Sabelteur swung the computer round and pointed at an image. "I just spotted this on the Spydove in the city."

As Yvestros went up to the screen, he saw a group of people milling around the Prism Tower, looking very puzzled. "What is the meaning of this? Mothitelle, contact Clemlisk right now!"

"Yes, my Lord." Mothitelle closed her eyes and focused her mind, getting in touch with the mutant with her telepathy. "Clemlisk, what's going on? Why have you closed the Gym?"

"Apologiesss, my Lady," Clemlisk replied. "But before I ssssubdued the Fighting Knight, he managed to desssstroy my Gem of Dissssguissse. And now I can't risssk letting anyone sssee my true appearance."

When Mothitelle explained the message, Yvestros was so mad that he slammed his hand on the desk, almost breaking the computer screen.

"This is inexcusable!" he bellowed. "We can't let anyone get suspicious! Clemont's disappearance must remain a secret or everything will fall apart."

"But my Lord, surely our plan with the Dragon Knight is worth it all?" Sabelteur asked.

"Not if the Knights find out that we got Clemont involved! Mothitelle, go back to Lumiose City right now and get Clemlisk back into disguise."

"At once, my Lord," Mothitelle replied, teleporting away in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

When Tristan, Quinn, and Electra emerged from the Door, they found themselves in an alleyway at Lumoise City. Peeking out, Tristan saw the Prism Tower ahead of them. "There it is."

"A lot of people gathered around it," Quinn noted. "Something might have already happened."

"Let me ask around," Electra offered, stepping out into the plaza. "We don't want the Knights of Order to barge in without knowing all the facts."

After a few minutes of chatting, she came back to the alley. "Okay, they're saying that Clemont has closed up the Gym for some reason. Everyone's baffled as to why."

"Maybe he has been taken," Quinn decided. "In which case, we might be too late."

"Let's not jump to conclusions just yet," Tristan said. "Now come on, we might stand a better chance of getting through as the Knights."

With that, Tristan, Quinn, and Electra lifted their Morphers and pressed the buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The elements of Fire, Grass, and Electricity burst out of their respective Morphers and slammed into them, creating their armor.

That done, they made their way into the plaza.

"May I have your attention please?" Tristan called.

The people turned around, gasping in amazement as they saw them.

"Look!" "It's the Poké Rangers!" "But why are they here?" "Is there a monster in the Gym, perhaps?"

"Everyone, calm down," Tristan went on. "We don't know what's going on in the Gym, but if there is a monster inside, the Knights of Order can handle it. Now if you all just please step away from the doors so that we may enter, we can find out what's happening."

Instantly, the crowd split apart, clearing a path to the Tower.

"Thank you," Tristan said, leading his friends through the crowd.

Quinn went up to the door and pushed them hard. "Locked."

Electra lifted her Thunder Hammer and walloped the door, smashing it open. "Unlocked!"

"Good work," Tristan chuckled. "Now let's get to the top fast!"

* * *

 _Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Beep-beep!_

Yvestros turned sharply at the alarm. "Knights of Order sighted!"

Sharphound looked at the image on the screen. "It's coming from Lumiose City! Three of the Knights have broken into the Gym!"

"Sabelteur!" Yvestros yelled. "What's the news on that machine?"

"Almost done, my Lord!" Sabelteur called out from his lab. "Just a few more minor adjustments to make! Hurry it up, human!"

"Alright, don't get your pointy ears in a twist!" Clemont snapped.

"There might not be enough time left," Sharphound pointed out. "Should we send her in?"

"We'll have to," Yvestros decided. "Get on the communicator!"

* * *

On the outskirts of Cyllage City, Camille had checked out of the hotel and was on her way to her next destination. The effects of Yvestros' mind control were not obvious to the casual observer, but her whole demeanor had drastically changed. Gone was the calm and calculating smile that eagerly awaited the next Gym, now she bore a cold, stoic and serious expression as she walked along Route 10.

A few Pokémon bounded across the path into the long grass, but Camille didn't even stop to look at them like she always did. Her eyes were completely focused on the path.

Just as she was nearing the end of the route, she heard her Morpher beeping loudly and she switched on the communicator. "Yes?"

"This is Lord Yvestros," came the dark reply. "Where are you presently?"

"I'm just approaching Geosenge Town," Camille responded. "Then it will be on to Shalour City."

"I'm afraid your services are needed again," Yvestros went on. "The Knights of Order are at Lumiose City, and they mean to give Mothitelle a bit of trouble. Time to get changed!"

"Yes, my Lord." Stepping behind one of the columns, Camille pressed the button on her Morpher. "Destruction's Shadow, activate!"

The powerful Dragon element burst out of the Morpher, shaping itself into a dragon that breathed fire on her, forming her armor.

"I'm ready, my Lord," she reported. "Send me there now!"

* * *

While Etna and Lucario kept a lookout for the Dragon Knight's movements, Marianne decided to lift Rafi's spirits by teaching his Clauncher some helpful moves for his upcoming Gym battle.

"According to your PokéDex, Claude knows the attacks Bubble Beam, Crabhammer and Smack Down," Marianne explained. "But to get ahead of the pack, especially with Amaura, we need to teach him Scald."

"What does Scald do?" Rafi asked.

"I'll show you." Marianne took out a Poké Ball and threw it out. "Simipour, come on out!"

In a flash of light, Simipour appeared next to Claude. " _Simi!_ "

"Okay, Simipour, let's show Rafi how Scald works," Marianne ordered.

" _Simi!_ " Simipour stood on its hands and fired a jet of water out of its tail. Rafi was quick to notice the steam rising from the water jet as it shot through the air and splashed over Lucario.

" _Lucar!_ " Lucario yelled, his body flashing red as he whirled around at Marianne. " _Lucar, lucar?_ "

"Oh, sorry, Lucario," Marianne winced. "I was just showing Rafi how Scald works."

"Here, eat this." Etna took out a Rawst Berry from her bag and handed it to Lucario.

As the Aura Pokémon ate the Berry, healing his burn, Marianne turned to Rafi. "As you can see, Scald has the added chance of burning your opponent. Now let's see if we can get Claude to learn it."

Just then, Lucario looked round again, this time with a frantic look on his face. " _Lucar! Lucario!_ "

"What is it?" Etna asked. "Is it the Dragon Knight?"

Lucario shook his head and pointed up the staircase. " _Lucario._ "

"Upstairs?" Marianne asked.

"Come on," Rafi cried, running to the stairs. "Let's see what's out there."

At the moment, the Tower of Mastery was closed to the public so no one was around to see Rafi, Marianne, and Etna coming out the secret entrance in the statue's pedestal. And nobody was outside the Tower either, so only they were the ones to see what awaited them out there.

Running through the door, they came to a sudden stop. There standing before them was a creature that none of them had ever seen before. It was a large black dog-like Pokémon about the size of a Mightyena, with a green snout, one green paw and two green spots on its chest. A green collar hung around its neck, tapering out into a long leash and a red jewel for a tag.

"What is that thing?" Marianne breathed.

Rafi took out his PokéDex and scanned it. "No known info on it."

The Pokémon took a slow step forward and the two Knights raised their fists.

"That's far enough, my friend!" Marianne yelled.

"Wait a minute, guys," Etna called, stepping between them. "I don't think it means us any harm." Slowly she walked up to it.

"Be careful, Etna!" Rafi shouted. "I don't know if we can trust it."

" _And I don't expect you to, but please hear me out._ "

Etna and the Knights looked around for the source of that new sage voice. The strange thing was that they didn't hear the voice with their ears, but with their minds. "W-Who said that?" Marianne asked.

" _I did, the one standing in front of you._ "

As one, Etna, Rafi, and Marianne all turned to look at the creature, who was staring back at them with its blank eyes.

"You?" Rafi asked. "You're the one who spoke?"

" _I'm using telepathy to communicate with you,_ " the creature replied. " _We can't speak out here, it's too public. May I please request that we convene at your secret base?_ "

"How do you know about that?" Rafi demanded.

" _My dear child, you need not be concerned. I know everything about your efforts to protect Kalos._ " The creature walked past them and stopped at the door. " _After all, I was the one who formed the Knights of Order in the first place._ "

* * *

Once the elevator reached the top floor, Tristan, Quinn, and Electra ran out onto the Gym floor, weapons drawn. The room was deserted and dark, except for the Gym arena which was lit up by the electric lights on the floor

"Hello?" Tristan called, looking around carefully. "Clemont, are you here?"

"I don't like this," Electra muttered. "It's too quiet, almost like we're walking into a trap."

As Quinn made his way to the middle of the Gym, he heard a scuttling noise on the ceiling. As he looked up, there came a gentle fluttering sound behind him. "Who's there?"

"Only me," came a familiar voice. "Psyshock!"

From out of the shadows came a wave of psychic energy that struck Quinn full in the chest, knocking him down.

"Quinn!" Tristan called as he and Electra ran to his side. "Are you alright?"

"Thunder Shock!"

A bolt of lightning shot out and hit Tristan and Electra full on, driving them to their knees. Sparks shot out over Tristan's body as he struggled to stand. "Can't move..."

"He's been paralysed," Electra gasped.

At once, the lights in the room switched on, revealing Mothitelle and a Heliolisk monster dressed in Clemont's clothes.

"Surprise, Knights of Order!" Mothitelle called, spreading out her hands. "Thought you could sneak in and catch us out so easily? Well, we've been expecting you since we dealt with your leader."

"Who's that guy?" Electra asked, pointing at the other monster. "And why is he dressed like Clemont?"

"The name'ssss Clemlissssk," the hybrid hissed. "And I was created to replace Clemont after-"

"Silence, Clemisk!" Mothitelle snapped.

"You kidnapped Clemont, didn't you?" Quinn grunted, getting to his feet. "But why?"

"Yvestros... needed his... Knight tech..." Tristan managed to say. "The Morphers... the Blasters... they're using it... to arm the Dragon Knight..."

"So you know more than we thought?" Mothitelle sneered. "Yes, all of it is true. And seeing that you guys managed to get yourselves beating up by our Knight of Destruction, I can certainly say that he did his job well."

"We're still standing, though, aren't we?" Electra asked.

"Yes, but that battle was merely a demonstration of her powers. This time, she won't be so merciful."

"This time?" Quinn cried.

"Yes, Knights of Useless, now it gets serious!"

Quinn and Electra whirled around and Tristan forced himself to turn his head to see the Dragon Knight herself appearing out of a cloud of smoke.

"You!" Tristan yelled.

"What issss she doing here?" Clemlisk snapped. "We were handling oursssselvessss jussst fine without her."

"Our Lord still needs time to prepare my ultimate weapon," the Dragon Knight replied. "Not that it will matter, seeing as we can deal with those three right now."

"Too right, but let's make this a fair fight." So saying, Mothitelle raised her hand, which started to glow. Seconds later, Tristan was covered in a white light.

"Leave him alone!" Electra snapped.

"Oh, relax," Mothitelle reassured, lowering her hand and canceling the light. "I just healed his paralysis. I may be a servant of Lord Yvestros, but that doesn't mean I'm barbaric."

Tristan carefully got to his feet, checking himself over.

"Are you alright?" Quinn asked.

"I think so," Tristan replied.

"Well, you won't be for long," the Dragon Knight retorted, raising her axe. "I'll take Tristan on myself. Mothitelle, you get Electra. And Clemlisk can deal with Quinn."

The Knights drew their weapons out and ran into battle...

* * *

"You're the one who created the Knights of Order?" Marianne asked as she, Rafi and Etna followed the strange dog creature down the stairs. "I thought that it was Zygarde, the Legendary Pokémon of Order."

" _And you're looking at him right now,_ " the creature replied. " _Or should I say, one of his cores._ "

"Wait, you're Zygarde?" Rafi gasped. "But that's impossible!"

"I always thought that Zygarde was a lot bigger and more powerful," Etna agreed. "You don't look anything like the pictures in the history books."

" _That form is only for when we face a threat greater than you humans can handle,_ " the creature explained. " _The form you see me in now is for fast and discrete travel. My brother and I prefer to keep a lower profile so as not to be captured by Pokémon trainers._ "

"You have a brother?" Rafi asked.

" _Actually, he's more of a secondary core, needed to achieve our most powerful form. But I suppose we are close enough to be called brothers, yes._ "

By then, they had entered the Knights' Base. Zygarde paused to look around the room. " _Yes, very impressive. Your leader certainly did a good job in setting this place up._ " It then looked around and spotted Gurkinn lying on one of the beds. " _Ah, there he is,_ " it said glumly. " _What ills have befallen him?_ "

"He got electrocuted by one of Yvestros' mutants," Marianne replied. "He woke up a while ago to try and warn us, but he didn't say much before falling asleep again."

" _I see._ " Zygarde trotted up to the bed and examined Gurkinn.

From the console, Lucario looked around and spotted the Legendary Pokémon next to the bed. " _Lucar, lucario!_ " he cried, raising his paws.

Zygarde turned to look at Lucario. " _Do not stress, I am here to help him._ "

Lucario didn't respond for a few moments then he lowered his paws and nodded. " _Lucar._ "

" _Now to try and heal your leader. Haze!_ " Zygarde opened its mouth and exhaled a cloud of white smoke over Gurkinn's body. As Etna, Marianne and Rafi watched, Gurkinn gave a shallow gasp, inhaling some of the smoke. Immediately, the muscles spasms began to lessen, his burns faded away and his breathing grew stronger.

Etna looked up at the scanner. "I don't believe this," she gasped. "His vital signs are returning to normal."

Then Gurkinn gave a loud cough and he slowly opened his eyes. "W... Wha...? Where am I?"

"Gurkinn!" Rafi cried, running to his side. "You're awake!"

"Thank Arceus!" Marianne cheered with tears in her eyes.

"Rafi? Marianne?" Gurkinn groaned, turning his head to look. "What are you doing here?"

"Lucario called us over and we found you here," Marianne explained.

"How did you... manage to heal me?" Gurkinn asked.

"We didn't. That was down to Zygarde over..." Rafi turned round, only to find that the dog-like creature had disappeared. "Zygarde?"

"Did you say Zygarde?" Gurkinn cried, sitting up quickly.

"Hey, take it easy!" Etna called, holding his shoulders. "You've just woken up."

"Zygarde?" Rafi called, looking around the bed. "Zygarde? Where are you?"

" _Down here, young one._ "

Rafi and Marianne looked at their feet and saw a tiny green blob lying on the floor. Its chest had a red symbol on it. One eye was small and blank, but the other twinkled with intelligence.

" _I apologise for scaring you like that,_ " it said in that same sage voice. " _Healing your leader took a lot of power and the cells needed to rest._ "

"Let me look at him," Gurkinn commanded.

Rafi knelt down, picked up Zygarde and placed him on Gurkinn's lap. Gurkinn's eyes widened as he looked at Zygarde. "It's you..." he breathed. "I don't believe it..."

Before the others could say anything, Lucario called them over. " _Lucar, lucario!_ "

"What is it, old friend?" Gurkinn asked.

Lucario put his paw on the scanner, revealing the image of the Lumiose Gym. Rafi and Marianne gasped as they saw Tristan, Quinn, and Electra facing up to Mothitelle, the Dragon Knight and a Heliolisk hybrid.

"Oh no!" Rafi cried. "They're in big trouble!"

"What is that creature next to them?" Etna asked. "The one wearing Clemont's clothing?"

"That's Clemlisk, and he's the reason I got hurt," Gurkinn replied. "Yvestros kidnapped the real Clemont, presumably to help the Dragon Knight."

"We have to get out there," Marianne replied. "Etna, you stay here with Gurkinn. Lucario, get the Transportation Door ready. We're going in there!"

As Lucario ran to obey, Rafi and Marianne raised their Morphers and pressed the buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

* * *

Tristan ducked to one side, avoiding the Dragon Knight's axe. Swinging his leg out, he kicked her legs and sent her sprawling to the floor. Then he got up, drew out his sword and swung it down. The Dragon Knight crossed her bladed gloves above her head and blocked the hit then threw them out, pushing Tristan back before she jumped to her feet.

"You're getting better at this, but let's see if you can handle this. Dragon Pulse!"

Her hands began to glow and she struck them together, sending out a wave of purple energy. Tristan barely managed to dive out the way, the attack striking the wall behind him and blowing a huge hole in it.

Meanwhile, Mothitelle took to the air and fluttered around Electra, who tried to strike at her with her Thunder Hammer. "Get down here and fight like a... thing, whatever you are!"

"Not likely, Electric Knight. Now, taste my Psybeam!" Mothitelle fired two beams of rainbow light out of her eyes.

Electra ducked down to avoid the beams then ran up to the judge's podium and jumped off it, raising her hammer and striking Mothitelle in the chest, driving her down to the ground.

Clemlisk scuttled around Quinn at lightning speed, avoiding the Grass Knight's attacks. Finally, Quinn drew out his Blaster and fired three bolts of Petal Leaves. Two shots missed, but one managed to graze Clemlisk's leg, making him stumble.

"AAARRRGGHHH!" Clemlisk gasped. "That doessss it! PARABOLIC CHARGE!"

Opening his frill, Clemlisk fired a huge lightning bolt. At the last second, Quinn dived out of the way and the bolt flew over his head and struck Mothitelle instead! The Poke-Mutant general gave an agonised cry as she crashed to the floor, electricity coursing through her body.

"My lady!" Clemlisk cried out.

"You stupid lizard!" the Dragon Knight snapped. "You're supposed to hit the Knights, not us!"

"Thanks for the help," Electra called, running over to Quinn. "Now let's deal with this guy!"

"No!" the Dragon Knight yelled, pushing Tristan aside. "You are not going to spoil our plans now! Dragon Rush!"

Her body began to glow purple as she pelted towards Quinn and Electra...

But just before she could hit, a feather arrow shot out and struck her in the shoulder, sending her spinning around and crashing against a column. Clemlisk gave a venomous hiss and charged towards them, only to get thrown back by a jet of water.

"Stay away from our friends!" Marianne yelled as she and Rafi came into view, fully morphed and their weapons drawn.

"Guys, you made it!" Tristan called. "Now we can finish this guy off! Form the Justice Blaster!"

"Water Cannon!" Marianne held her weapon out.

"Feather Bow!" Rafi stuck his weapon underneath the Blaster.

"Leaf Dirks!" Quinn stuck his daggers on either side of the barrel.

"Thunder Hammer!" Electra stuck her weapon at the back.

"Fire Sword!" Tristan put his sword on top of the Blaster. The tip of the sword opened up, as did Electra's hammer and Quinn's daggers, forming extra barrels.

"Justice Blaster, active!" Tristan yelled as the other Knights stood behind him.

Angrily, Clemlisk reared up to his full height, opening his frill.

"Fire!" Tristan called, pulling the trigger.

"Parabolic Charge!" Clemlisk bellowed.

As the Blaster opened fire, Clemlisk fired his electricity out. The two attacks met in the middle for a few moments, but the Justice Blaster's beam eventually pushed through the electricity and hit Clemlisk full on, throwing him out the hole in the wall.

Outside, the people gathered around the plaza screamed in horror as Clemlisk plummeted out of the tower. "Is that Clemont?" "Oh no, he's falling!"

Seconds later, the Poké-Mutant crashed to the ground. The people ran up to see if he was hurt then gasped. "That's not Clemont! That's another monster!" "The Knights of Order must have stopped him!"

* * *

"Noooo!" Yvestros bellowed, slamming his hand on the desk again, this time cracking the computer screen. "Our deception has failed! Everyone will know that Clemont's been taken!"

"My Lord," Sabelteur called out. "The machine is ready! Shall I send it out?"

"Yes, by all means!" Yvestros commanded. "This time, the Knights are finished!"

* * *

"Well, that's one Poké-Mutant out the way," Tristan beamed, turning to Mothitelle. "What say we finish this one off too?"

But Mothitelle was already back on her feet, with no sign of being paralyzed. "Shield Dust, fools! Now it's time to finish this battle. Power Spore!"

With that, she flew out the hole and fluttered down to the remains of Clemlisk. Seeing another Poké-Mutant approaching, the people screamed and ran out of the plaza. Mothitelle flapped her wings hard, sending a cloud of spore down on Clemlisk.

The Knights ran over to the hole and watched as Clemlisk grew bigger until he was as tall as the Prism Tower itself.

Then the Dragon Knight pushed past them and jumped out too. "Mothitelle, catch me!"

Mothitelle flew up and grabbed the Dragon Knight's arms, carrying her out of the city.

"Where are they going?" Marianne asked.

"Doesn't matter, we can't let Clemlisk destroy the city!" Tristan pressed the call button on his Morpher. "Release the PokéZords!"

* * *

At the Knights' Base, Etna gasped as five huge doors opened and out stomped five gigantic robots, each shaped like a different Pokémon. "What are those things?"

"Those are the PokéZords," Gurkinn replied. "A last resort against the Poké-Mutants."

" _I am most impressed, my friend,_ " Zygarde stated. " _You've certainly come a very long way._ "

Lucario ran over to the Transportation Door and pressed the button, making it large enough for the Zords to pass through.

* * *

On the edge of the city, the PokéZords appeared and stomped over to the city wall.

Tristan spotted them from the Tower. "Let's get inside!"

The PokéZords fired five beams of light, transporting the Knights into their respective cockpits.

"We've got to get Clemlisk out of the city!" Tristan called through the communicator. "Our Zords can't fight with all these people and buildings around."

"I'm on it!" Rafi cried, throwing his joystick out. "Sky Drop!"

The Pidgeot Zord took to the air and flew over the city, grabbing Clemlisk in its talons and lifting him out of the plaza.

"Come in, Knights of Order, can you hear me?" came a voice that made Tristan, Quinn and Electra light up.

"Gurkinn!" Tristan cried. "You're okay!"

"Yes, but there's no time to celebrate now!" Gurkinn replied. "Rafi, take Clemlisk out into the desert. He won't harm anyone out there!"

"You got it!" Rafi responded, steering his PokéZord around.

The other PokéZords set off after Rafi, heading out towards Route 13.

"Let go of me!" Clemlisk yelled, struggling in the Pidgeot Zord's grip. "Thunder Shock!"

Electricity shot out of his body, zapping the Pidgeot Zord. Rafi gasped as his console started flashing out warnings. "Gotta release him quick or he'll fry my circuits!"

Pulling his stick back, Rafi dropped Clemlisk down in the middle of the desert then flew back to meet up with the other Knights.

"Good work, Rafi! Now let's finish this impostor off!" Tristan called as he and the others pressed the main buttons on their consoles. "Megazord of Justice transformation, activate!"

Each PokéZord flashed white as the command was issued. First, the Blaziken Zord jumped into the air, its arms folding back into its body. At the same time, the Blastoise Zord withdrew its head and limbs into its shell, which opened up on the front and fused over the Blaziken Zord's body, creating the main torso.

Next, the Sceptile and Ampharos Zords lay down on their stomachs and folded in their limbs and tails as they straightened up, the heads resting on their chests. The bottom half joined onto the main torso, forming the legs.

Then, the Pidgeot Zord took to the air, its head and tail folding into its body which then split in half. Each half then joined to either side of the torso upside down, so that the legs formed the arms, while the wings folded over the front of the torso. The completed MegaZord landed on the ground, the Blaziken's beak opening up to reveal a more humanoid face.

"Megazord of Justice, ready!" the Knights yelled in the main cockpit as the robot raised its arms.

"Guys, while I was checking up on the Zords, I gave them a few extra moves," Gurkinn told them. "Now would be a good time to try them out!"

"Let's do it!" Rafi cried, tapping some buttons then pushing his stick. "Air Slash!"

Both the Megazord's arms began to glow and it charged forward, slicing the air as it lashed out and struck Clemlisk.

"My turn!" Marianne cried, throwing her stick out. "Scald!"

A jet of steaming hot water shot out of the Megazord's shoulder cannons, sweeping over Clemlisk and making his body flash red.

"Electro Kick!" Electra yelled, throwing her stick out.

The Megazord's one leg sparked with power and it kicked out, dealing some damage to Clemlisk despite his type.

"Grass Pledge!" Quinn cried, pushing his stick forward.

The Megazord lifted its other leg and stomped hard on the ground, sending out shoots of long grass that wrapped around Clemlisk.

"Time to end this!" Tristan cried. "Mega Sword, engage!"

In a flash of light, the sword appeared in the Megazord's hands.

"Order Slash!" Tristan yelled, throwing his stick out.

As the sword began to glow white, the Megazord surged forward and brought it crashing down on Clemlisk. The Poké-Mutant gave out an agonised scream as he fell to the ground and exploded.

"Scratch one more Poké-Mutant!" Tristan cheered.

* * *

"Excellent work, my friends!" Gurkinn cried over his communicator. "Now head back to base-"

" _Lucar! Lucario!_ "

Etna looked over at the Aura Pokémon. "What's wrong?"

Lucario pointed at the screen, switching it to Aura Mode. Etna could see the rainbow blob of light that indicated the Megazord in the middle then she saw a glowing purple dot zooming towards them. "What's that?"

Zygarde's single eye narrowed. " _It's the one who's turned..._ "

* * *

"Gurkinn?" Tristan called. "What's happening? Why did you pause?"

Suddenly a black shadow swooped over the Megazord's head. The Knights looked up and saw a massive mechanical purple humanoid shark dropping out of the sky, landing before them. It then raised its winglike arms and gave an earthshaking roar.

"Guess who?" called a familiar mocking voice.

"No. Freaking. Way!" Quinn gasped.

"The Dragon Knight has her own PokéZord?!" Electra cried out.

"That's right, Knights of Hopeless!" the Dragon Knight called out. "Say hello to the Garchomp PokéZord!"

"Guys, you have to get out of there!" Etna called through the radio. "There's no way you can take her on!"

"We have to try!" Tristan retorted. "Let's do this!"

"Brave words, but they will do you no good!" the Dragon Knight countered. "Dragon Breath!"

The Garchomp Zord opened its mouth and fired a beam of energy that swept over the Megazord, driving it back.

"Whoa, that attack did some damage," Quinn gasped.

"Let's try to slow it down!" Marianne cried, pushing her stick out. "Hydro Cannon!"

The Megazord raised its cannons to fire...

But only a small trickle came out of its nozzles.

"What?" Marianne gasped.

"You used up nearly all your energy in that last Order Slash!" Gurkinn responded. "There's not enough for your attacks now."

"Oh no!" Rafi cried.

"Ha! Is that the best you can do?" scoffed the Dragon Knight. "Now it's my turn. Dual Chop!"

The Garchomp Zord's arm blades began to glow and it sped forward, slicing into the Megazord from both sides, dealing serious damage to the hull.

"We're taking too much damage!" Electra gasped.

"Now to finish you off!" the Dragon Knight cried. "Draco Meteor!"

The Garchomp Zord began to glow bright red as it raised its head up and fired a ball of light into the air.

"Huh?" Tristan asked. "She missed us."

"No, she didn't," Marianne breathed.

Just then, the ball burst apart into a dozen smaller orbs that plummeted out of the sky, crashing down onto the Megazord.

All around the console, emergency lights began to flash and alarms rang out.

"Systems are failing!" Quinn shouted.

"We're losing too much power!" Electra reported.

"One more blow and we're finished!" Rafi cried.

"We have to get out!" Marianne yelled.

"No! There's one last chance," Tristan remarked, throwing his stick out. "Throwing Mega Sword!"

Using the last of its power, the Megazord raised its arm back and hurled its sword straight at the Garchomp Zord. The Dragon Knight started to laugh. "Do you really think that could-"

Before she could finish, the sword pierced right through the Zord's chest, causing it to spark wildly out of control.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed.

"Gurkinn, emergency recall protocols, now!" Tristan called.

A bright yellow glow appeared behind the Megazord as it staggered to its feet and stepped through, leaving the Dragon Knight's Zord alone in the desert.

"My Lord, call me back to base!" the Dragon Knight called. "The Knights' destruction has been a total failure."

In a cloud of black smoke, the Garchomp Zord disappeared...

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?" Yvestros bellowed as Camille entered the throne room. "How could you let those Knights of Order get away?"

"It wasn't my fault, my Lord," Camille replied. "The Garchomp Zord wasn't prepared for the battle."

Sabelteur came into the room, dragging Clemont along behind him. "I've brought the prisoner to see you, my Lord."

"Human, why have you not perfected the PokéZord?" Yvestros yelled. "I gave you a very simple task to do, and you've failed me!"

"You didn't exactly give me a lot of time, you know!" Clemont snapped. "The original Zords took me months to work on. I only had two days and nights!"

"How dare you talk back to me!" Yvestros swung his wing out and slapped Clemont on the cheek. "Now get back in there and repair the damage! And no funny business or I'll send my KrokoViles on your sister!"

As Clemont was escorted away, Camille turned to Yvestros. "My Lord, even though the Knights are still alive, I was able to severely damage their PokéZords. Without Clemont, they'll never be able to repair them."

"How right you are," Yvestros smirked. "They may have won this battle, but without the Zords, the war will soon be ours!"

* * *

Tristan looked at the damaged Zords with a sigh. "What a mess. That Dragon Knight sure knows how to fight."

"Yes," Gurkinn agreed. "But at least you were able to deal some damage to her Zord. With luck, she'll be on the same level as you."

"Can we fix them?"

"I'm afraid not. Clemont was the only one who knows how to repair them. And now he's gone..."

"We're not gonna give up, though," Tristan stated, clenching his fists. "We'll save Clemont and then we're gonna destroy that Dragon Knight, no matter the cost!"

Gurkinn smiled and patted Tristan's shoulder. "I'll keep my eyes open for when she next strikes back. But for now, keep your minds on your journey. Don't let your life as a Knight of Order take you over."

"I know," Tristan replied.

* * *

Outside the Tower, as the sun began to set, Rafi, Marianne and Etna were chatting to the Zygarde Core.

"Do you really have to go?" Rafi asked sadly. "After saving Gurkinn like that?"

" _I'm afraid I must, young Flying Knight,_ " Zygarde replied. " _The longer I stay with you, the sooner Yvestros will discover my involvement here. I must return to cover. But my brother will keep a lookout for the one who turned._ "

"We can't thank you enough for all you've done for us," Marianne smiled.

"Good luck out there," Etna added.

" _Do not worry. Something tells me that this won't be the last you'll see of me._ "

With a nod, Rafi, Marianne and Etna went back into the Tower.

" _Good luck to you too, Knights of Order,_ " Zygarde said to himself. " _I am glad that Gurkinn has found some worthy trainers to take up the mantle. Just like he did so many years ago..._ "

With that final thought, he summoned some cells to change his shape and set off into the darkening plains...

* * *

 **And this intro part is now over. A lot has happened over these last few chapters, but the Dragon Knight arc has only just begun.**

 **What new perils await the Knights of Order? Will Camille ever be freed from Yvestros' spell? And what mysteries to her past will be revealed next?**

 **Stay tuned to find out**


	16. A Rift in the Team

**Quick little footnote for the upcoming chapter:**

"Normal speech"

 _"Pokémon speech_ "

 _'Thinking speech'_

* * *

 _Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _Despite losing their first fight to the Dragon Knight and Gurkinn being out for the count, the Knights came back ready to fight again. While Tristan, Quinn, and Electra went to Lumiose Gym to confront Clemlisk, Rafi, Marianne, and Etna received some unexpected help in the form of one of the Zygarde Cores who healed and revived Gurkinn. Rejoining at Lumiose, the Knights managed to destroy Clemlisk first with the Justice Cannon then with the Megazord. But just as they were basking in their victory, the Dragon Knight appeared with her own Garchomp PokéZord and proceeded to annihilate the Megazord. Just before the last blow hit, the Knights used the Mega Sword to damage the Garchomp Zord, barely escaping with their lives._

* * *

Chapter 15: A Rift in the Team

Another beautiful day had dawned over Cyllage City and everyone was enjoying it down on the beach. Among them were Marianne, Electra, and Etna who were out on the waves with their Pokémon.

"Yaaahoooooo!" Marianne cried, clinging tightly to her Blastoise as he tore through the waves like a rocket. "This is so much fun!"

"Sure is," Electra yelled, pulling up alongside on her Lanturn. "Hey, race you back to shore, but no Aqua Jet!"

"You're on!" Marianne replied. "Let's go!"

With that, the two Pokémon turned around and set off towards the shore. For the first few yards, Electra held a good lead but then Blastoise shot past her, almost knocking her off Lanturn as he landed on the beach.

"I win!" Marianne cheered, raising her fist in the air.

"I thought I said no Aqua Jet!" Electra called.

"True, but you didn't say Blastoise couldn't use his water cannons to go faster," Marianne laughed.

"Actually, I got here first," Etna shouted from the beach. "So that makes me the winner."

"Etna, this was a race between Water Pokémon," Marianne called. "Getting here on your Charizard didn't count."

"You didn't say he couldn't compete," Etna countered, patting her Pokémon's back. "So we still win, right, buddy?"

" _Char,_ " Charizard roared, swinging his tail around and showing off the metal ring next to his tail flame.

"It's too bad the guys couldn't join us," Electra sighed, getting off her Lanturn and recalling it. "I hope Rafi manages to win his Gym battle."

"I don't see why he shouldn't," Marianne said. "Claude has learned Scald quite quickly."

"And Lucky has become good at using Iron Tail," Electra agreed.

"We'll see how it goes," Etna smiled. "At least he's got Tristan cheering for him."

"And Quinn's still looking for Camille," Marianne added. "Who knows where she's gone? We haven't seen her since yesterday."

"Let's not worry about that," Electra said. "I don't want this day spoiled by some missing friend."

At that very moment, a dozen KrokoViles appeared on the beach, snarling menacingly. Everyone screamed in terror and ran away.

"Seriously?" Marianne shouted.

"We can handle those guys," Electra reassured her. "At least Sharphound isn't with them."

"Knights of Order!" came a familiar shout. "I've got you now!"

The girls whirled round and saw Sharphound standing on the wall, his bladed gloves raised.

"Is that the guy you were talking about?" Etna asked.

"Yes, it is," Marianne replied. "He's one of Yvestros' generals, and he's bad news with a capital BAD!"

"Hey, it could be worse," Electra said with a shrug. "He could have come with another Poké-Mutant."

"Oh yes, I almost forgot." Sharphound looked out to sea. "Come on out, CruelLee!"

In the middle of the sea, the water started to churn then out rose a monster that looked like a Hitmonlee with the head of a Tentacruel. Long tentacles snaked out from where his arms used to be, writhing and coiling in anticipation. "Prepare to get your butts kicked, by me, the one who will be giving your butts a kicking, of butts!"

Feeling the glare of her friends, Electra smiled sheepishly. "I'm gonna shut up now."

* * *

"Alright, Claude!" Rafi called. "Hit him with Scald!"

Claude raised his larger pincer and fired a steaming hot jet of water out at Amaura. As the water struck the Tundra Pokémon, its body flashed red.

"That's it!" Tristan called from the sidelines. "You've burnt Amaura!"

"It's not over yet," Grant warned. "Amaura, Take Down!"

Amaura lowered its head and charged at full speed, bashing Claude back against a boulder.

"Oh no, Claude!" Rafi gasped, seeing that his Pokémon was knocked out.

"Clauncher is unable to battle!" the judge announced. "Amaura wins this round."

"Man, this is tough," Rafi sighed, recalling Claude.

"Just hang in there, buddy!" Tristan shouted. "You can do this."

"He's right." Rafi turned to his first Pokémon. "Okay, Lucky, it's up to you now. Show him what you've got!"

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky bounded off Rafi's shoulder and ran into the arena.

As the next battle began, Tristan heard a beeping from his Morpher. "Tristan, come in," Gurkinn's voice called out.

"I'm here, Gurkinn," Tristan answered the call. "Is there trouble?"

"Sharphound and another Poké-Mutant are invading the beach," Gurkinn explained. "Right now, Marianne and Electra are fighting off the KrokoViles while Etna is evacuating the people off so they could morph without being seen."

Tristan looked up and saw Lucky striking Amaura with her Iron Tail. "Rafi's still in the middle of his Gym battle, but we'll come as soon as we can."

"I've contacted Quinn too," Gurkinn replied. "He and Grovyle are on their way now. Don't take too long here. Gurkinn out."

Ending the call, Tristan turned around just in time to see Lucky narrowly avoiding Amaura's Aurora Beam. "Let's hope the others can manage without us..."

* * *

Dodging the jaws of a KrokoVile, Marianne grabbed it by the neck and hurled it into the water. Another KrokoVile crept up behind her, ready to attack. At the last second, Blastoise charged in and headbutted it away from his trainer.

"Thanks, Blastoise," Marianne smiled. "Now go for a Rapid Spin!"

Withdrawing into his shell, Blastoise began to spin like a top, spiraling straight into the other KrokoViles and sending them flying.

Electra meanwhile was grappling with CruelLee. The Poké-Mutant lashed out with his tentacle arms and whipped her back against some abandoned deckchairs. As she got to her feet, he sprayed out a nasty purple liquid at her. Quickly, she snatched up a chair and held it in front of her, blocking the liquid which dissolved the chair instantly.

"Acid Spray," she realised, taking out a Poké Ball. "Time to get some help. Ampharos, go for Thunder Punch!"

As Ampharos appeared, her hand started to glow and she punched CruelLee in the face, knocking him down.

At that moment, Etna flew over to them on her Charizard. "The beach is clear now. You're good to go."

"Let's do this!" Marianne and Electra pressed their buttons on the Morphers. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The elements of Water and Electricity burst out of their Morphers, crashing into their bodies and forming their armor.

"We'll give you a hand too." Etna lifted her wrist, revealing a black metal ring, and pressed her fingers on the glowing stone in its centre. "Get ready, Charizard!"

The stone gave out a mystical glow that sent bolts of light at the ring on Charizard's tail. Instantly, Charizard began to glow with a colorful light. When the light faded, Marianne and Electra gasped at the dramatic change. Charizard's wings had become much longer and an extra horn had sprouted up on his head.

"Okay, Charizard," Etna called. "Let's deal with those guys with Flamethrower!"

With a roar, Charizard swooped down and launched a powerful stream of fire from his mouth, taking out the KrokoViles in one hit.

"Whoa!" Marianne cried out. "That's incredible!"

"That's his Mega Evolved form," Etna replied.

"Don't think this battle's over!" Sharphound yelled from the wall. "We still have plenty KrokoViles to spare."

As he spoke, another army of KrokoViles appeared, surrounding the Knights, Etna and their Pokémon. CruelLee also rose out of the sea, his tentacle arms twitching.

"This looks bad," Electra realised.

"Attack, my men!" Sharphound bellowed. "Give them everything you've got!"

"Hey, don't leave me out of the fun!"

Before Sharphound could even turn, he was kicked off the wall and into the sea as Quinn landed on the beach, fully morphed and his Grovyle at his side.

"Quinn, you made it!" Marianne cheered.

"Glad you're still alive," Quinn replied. "Now let's end this battle!"

"Fools!" Sharphound snapped, rising out of the water. "This battle's only just begun! Shadow Claw!"

As his claws glowed purple, he charged out to lash at Quinn. But Grovyle jumped in at the last second, pushing Quinn aside and taking the blow instead which sent him flying back against the wall.

"NO!" Quinn screamed, turning back to Sharphound. "Leave my Pokémon out of this!"

"They're just as much casualties in this war as the humans!" Sharphound yelled. "All will perish at the hands of Lord Yvestros!"

Quinn gave an angry yell and kicked Sharphound in the chest then punched him so hard that he fell back into the sea.

Marianne, Electra, and Etna took out the KrokoViles then ran to help Quinn.

"Where do you think you're going?" CruelLee shouted. "Acid Spray!"

He spat out another stream of noxious slime at the Rangers. Quickly, Blastoise, Ampharos, and Charizard dived in front of their trainers, taking the hit for them and falling to the ground, their faces contorted in pain. Charizard's body flashed white and changed back into his original form.

"Oh no!" Etna gasped. "They've been poisoned!"

"Leave them alone, you brutes!" Marianne yelled as she and Electra whipped out their Elemental Blasters. "Take this!"

Marianne shot Sharphound with her pistol while Electra focused her shots on CruelLee. Both Poké-Mutants cried out as the super-effective attacks hit them.

"Retreat, CruelLee!" Sharphound commanded. "We're done here anyway!"

"Yes, you are right," CruelLee agreed. "This isn't over, Knights because soon it will continue!"

With that, they both disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Order's Light, return!" Marianne called, recalling the Knights' armor.

Etna ran over to her Charizard. "Don't worry, buddy, we'll get you fixed up."

Quinn went over to Grovyle and lifted him up. "You didn't have to do that for me."

" _Grovyle, grove._ "

"Don't worry, you'll be okay," Quinn muttered.

"I'll call Tristan and Rafi and tell them to meet us at the Pokémon Center," Marianne said, activating her communicator.

* * *

"Phase One complete, my Lord," Sharphound announced as he and CruelLee reappeared back at the palace.

"It is as the Dragon Knight had told us," CruelLee went on. "The Knights of Order's Pokémon put their lives on the line to protect the ones who trained them."

"And the Grass Knight certainly acted violently," Sharphound finished.

"Excellent," Yvestros smirked, tenting his fingers menacingly. "And where is our Dragon Knight of Destruction now?"

"Still at Geosenge Town, training for her next Gym battle," Mothitelle reported.

* * *

"Come on, you guys, push yourselves!" Camille snapped. "We need to be ready for our next battle."

Samurott summoned a glowing blade on his arm and sliced down a tree stump. Magmortar fired two flaming balls out at Honchkrow and Dragonite, who both avoided the attack. Garchomp swooped down and swung his wings around, mowing down the long grass, while Gogoat charged at a rock, shoving it with his horns.

After a while, Dragonite paused in mid-air and floated down to Camille, a concerned look on her face. " _Dragooon?_ "

"Why are you not training?" Camille yelled. "Get back out there!"

Dragonite flew back to Honchkrow, but she was still worried. She'd been with Camille for a very long time and she hadn't shouted at her Pokémon since her journey in Johto. Something about her had changed after the Gym at Cyllage, she was sure of it.

"Hey there," came a new voice.

Camille turned round as a young blonde girl in roller skating gear came out of the long grass, followed closely by a Riolu, a Machoke and a Mienfoo. "What do you want?"

"I was out for a run with my Pokémon and saw you training," the girl replied. "Are you on your way to Shalour City, by any chance?"

"Yes, I am," Camille replied bluntly. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, my name is Korrina, and I'm the Gym Leader of Shalour."

Camille raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, so you're gonna need a good strong team to take on my Pokemon, right, guys?"

" _Riolu!_ "

" _Machoke!_ "

" _Mien!_ "

"Well, guess I'll leave you to it," Korrina said, heading down the path. "See you soon!"

Camille watched her go with narrowed eyes. "So she uses Fighting-Types, huh?" She looked back at her Pokémon. "Guess it's time to change my team around..."

* * *

Back at Cyllage, Tristan and Rafi walked into the Pokémon Center and found Marianne, Electra, and Etna waiting by the counter.

"Hey, are you guys alright?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Marianne replied. "But our Pokémon got badly hurt. Nurse Joy's healing them up now."

"Where's Quinn?" Rafi asked.

"Over there." Etna pointed to a table in the corner where Quinn was sitting, resting his chin on his hands. "He hasn't said a word since the battle."

"We tried to talk to him, but he didn't want to speak," Electra added.

"Anyway, how did the battle go?" Etna asked.

"See for yourself!" Rafi lifted his badge case and opened it, revealing the Cliff Badge. "All our training paid off! And you were right, Marianne. Scald was a great help against Amaura!"

Just then, Nurse Joy came out, wheeling out a trolley that had Grovyle sitting next to two Poké Balls and a Fast Ball. "Here you are. Your Pokémon have been fixed up."

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," Etna beamed, picking up her Charizard's Fast Ball while Electra and Marianne took their Balls back.

"Come on, Grovyle," Tristan said, lifting the Grass-Type off the trolley. "Let's get you back to your owner."

" _Grovyle!_ "

While Rafi gave Lucky and Claude's Poké Ball to Nurse Joy, Tristan went up to Quinn with a smile. "Hey, buddy, your Pokémon's better now."

Quinn looked up and nodded at Grovyle, but didn't say a word.

"What's the matter?" Tristan asked, sitting next to Quinn. "Grovyle's okay now, you should be happy."

"He shouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place," Quinn muttered crossly.

Tristan looked puzzled. "Huh?"

"Why did he take Sharphound's hit for me? I don't understand."

"He was just trying to help you," Etna replied, coming over with the other Knights. "He's your friend, isn't he?"

"But we're supposed to be protecting humans and Pokémon!" Quinn retorted. "How can we do that if we can't even look after our own Pokémon? They're just getting themselves hurt in a battle they shouldn't even be in!"

Marianne narrowed her eyes. "You know, that kind of talk sounds awfully familiar."

"That's because it's the same thing that Team Plasma spoke of back at Unova," Etna replied.

"What?" Electra gasped.

"Oh, don't tell me you believed those guys!" Tristan cried.

"So what if I did?" Quinn snapped, rising to his feet. "They had very valid points to make about Pokémon training! It's immoral against the Pokemon!"

"Is that why you never keep your Pokémon in Poké Balls?" Marianne retorted.

"Yes! Because they are my friends, and I treat them as such!"

"Guys, stop fighting!" Rafi called.

"Quinn, those Plasma guys were terrorists," Etna cried, ignoring Rafi. "Did you not see what they did at the Unova League three years ago?"

"They almost destroyed the land using Zekrom," Marianne agreed. "All because nobody was willing to release their Pokemon."

"And then their leader turned out to be a selfish tyrant!" Tristan finished. "He just wanted to be the only person to own Pokemon in the world!"

"Maybe he was bad," Quinn scowled. "But not N."

"Guys!" Rafi shouted. "We have bigger concerns than this right now! Sharphound and his Poké-Mutant are still out there and we have to find them."

"You have a point, Rafi," Tristan said before turning back to Quinn. "We'll continue this discussion when this is over."

Quinn glared at him for a moment. "There's nothing more to discuss."

"What?" Tristan asked.

"I'm not coming with you. I won't get involved in any battle if it gets my Pokémon hurt." So saying, Quinn took off his Morpher and slammed it on the table. "From this moment on, I am no longer a member of the Knights of Order."

"Quinn!" Marianne gasped.

"Obviously I can't change your mind, so I wish you good luck." Quinn picked up his backpack and headed towards the door. "Come on, Grovyle, we're leaving."

As Grovyle bounded after him, Electra stepped towards him. "Quinn, please, don't do this."

Quinn sighed and shook his head. "It's too late to stop me. Goodbye, everyone. It was nice to know you." With that, he walked out of the Pokémon Center.

Etna and the others just looked at each other, feeling more helpless than they had ever been in their lives...

* * *

Sableteur watched his computer with glee as the latest Spydove showed him the picture of Quinn and Grovyle leaving the Pokémon Center. "My Lord, I've just observed the Grass Knight leaving."

"And why is that so important?" Mothitelle asked.

"Did you not hear the alarm?" Sabelteur replied. "That's because he wasn't wearing his Morpher. He's completely defenseless now."

"Excellent!" Yvestros cheered. "Now we have the chance to eliminate our first Knight of Order! And soon the others will fall just as easily!"

"I'll summon the Dragon Knight out there now," Mothitelle declared, activating the communicator.

* * *

"He just left the team?!" Gurkinn cried after Tristan explained the whole story over his communicator. "And none of you stopped him?"

"We tried to, but he wouldn't listen to reason," Tristan replied. "Now our team's down by one and with the Dragon Knight still out there, we're losing any chance to fight back."

"Speaking of which, how are our PokéZords doing?" Marianne asked.

"Not so good," Gurkinn sighed. "Fortunately the damage done by the Dragon Knight wasn't too extensive. But without Clemont, there's no way we can get them running again."

"But what do we do in the meantime?" Electra asked.

"CruelLee is still out there, he's our main priority," Gurkinn replied. "In the meantime, I'll track down Quinn and try to talk some sense into him."

"I'd like to come with you," Etna said, picking up Quinn's Morpher.

"Sounds good. I'll meet you in the alley behind the Pokémon Center. Meanwhile, Knights, you find CruelLee and take him out by any means necessary. Gurkinn out."

Tristan turned to the others. "Let's go!"

"Good luck, guys!" Etna watched them go then went outside the Center and into an alley to wait for Gurkinn's Door.

* * *

When Quinn got back to his camp on the cliffs by the Connecting Cave, he found his other Pokémon waiting for him. He didn't say a word, but went straight to his tent and started packing it up.

Grovyle bounded over to his friends. " _Grovyle, grove, grovyle,_ " he said, which in Pokémon language meant _"We're on our way again."_

Leafeon looked puzzled. _"What happened out there?"_

" _We got in a fight on the beach with some Poké-Mutants. Sharphound tried to attack Quinn, but I shielded him from it and got hurt. Quinn wasn't happy with me and he's now quit the Knights of Order."_

" _What?"_ Roselia gasped.

" _Why would he do that?"_ Floette added.

" _Because he doesn't want us to get hurt,"_ Grovyle replied.

" _And why is he so concerned about us now?"_ Floette asked.

" _The others found out about his beliefs in Team Plasma,_ " Grovyle went on. _"They were... unimpressed, to say the least."_

" _Oh, of course,"_ Leafeon murmured. _"Not everyone had the same ideas on that."_

" _But surely they would give him a chance to explain?_ " Roselia asked.

" _He didn't give them a chance,"_ Grovyle answered solemnly.

By then, Quinn had finished packing his tent and he now turned to his Pokémon. "Come on, guys. We're leaving. There are others out there in need of assistance."

"Why don't we start with you and your Pokémon?"

Quinn whirled around at the familiar voice and found himself facing the Dragon Knight, standing on top of the cliffs. "You!"

"Hello again, Quinn," she called out. "It's been a while."

"What are you doing here?" Quinn snapped, raising his fists.

"Where are the rest of your friends, Grass Knight?" she went on. "You seem to be on your own. Except, wait, you're not alone. You've got your precious Pokemon slaves."

"They're not my slaves!" Quinn yelled. "I treat them as my friends!"

"And yet you make them follow you around, putting up your tent and doing all the work for you. What would Team Plasma say about that, hmm?"

Quinn looked baffled for a moment. "No... that's not what I'm doing at all. We work together, like equals."

"And you even fight together? Back on the beach, your Grovyle got himself hurt out there. Dearie me, if N were here, he'd be most disappointed in you."

"Why are you saying those things?" Quinn yelled.

"Because I'm here to help you solve some issues with your Pokemon, as you seem unable to follow Team Plasma's commands. Sandstorm!"

With that, she swept her hands out, summoning a huge cloud of sand around the cliffs. Quinn was blown back off his feet but managed to grab onto a rock for safety. Over the roaring wind, he heard his Pokémon calling out to him. At last, the dust settled and he got to his feet, only to find that the Dragon Knight had gone... and so were all his Pokémon!

"NO!" Quinn screamed. "Give them back!"

"If you want to see them again, meet me at the spot where we first battled," came the Dragon Knight's voice. "Don't be late..."

As her voice faded away, Quinn sank to his knees, fell forward on his hands and began to sob, feeling more helpless than ever.

* * *

Unaware of Quinn's predicament, Tristan, Rafi, Marianne, and Electra were walking along the beach, keeping a lookout for Sharphound and CruelLee.

"This was where they attacked us," Marianne recalled, coming to the edge of the shore. "But I don't see them anywhere."

"Let's hope that Orville, Fletchling, and Emolga can spot them from the air," Rafi said, seeing the Flying Pokémon in the distance.

Tristan glanced around for a moment then he sighed.

"What's wrong?" Electra asked, coming up to him. "Are you worried about Quinn?"

"Yes," Tristan admitted. "I feel kind of bad for shouting at him. We shouldn't have criticised him for believing Team Plasma's speeches. No matter who he follows, he's still our friend and we need to be there for him."

"Yeah," Electra sighed. "I guess we were kind of harsh on him. We should look for him after we're done here."

At that moment, Orville and Emolga flew up to the Knights.

"Hey, guys!" Rafi called. "Did you find Sharphound or CruelLee?"

Both Pokémon shook their heads. Then Fletchling came soaring over, flapping his wings urgently. " _Fletch, fletchling!_ "

"What is it?" Tristan asked, running over. "Did you see them?"

In response, Fletchling pointed away from the beach towards the forest.

"That's back on Route 10!" Tristan realised. "Come on, we'd better get over there."

* * *

In the skies above the city, Etna and Gurkinn scanned the city from the back of Charizard.

"Any sign of Quinn?" Gurkinn asked.

"No, not yet," Etna called back. "But keep looking."

Just then, Gurkinn's Morpher started beeping. " _Lucar, lucario!_ "

Gurkinn answered his communicator. "What is it, Lucario? Did you find Quinn?"

" _Lucario, lucar, car, lucario._ "

"What's he saying?" Etna asked.

"He said he's found Quinn," Gurkinn explained. "He's heading to Route 10, but Lucario has sensed the presence of Sharphound, the Dragon Knight and another life form that could be CruelLee."

"But then that means..." Etna gasped. "He's walking right into their hands!"

* * *

Quinn kept his mind on the path ahead, marching through the standing stones on Route 10. His only goal was finding the Dragon Knight and saving his Pokémon friends.

As he walked, he suddenly heard a rustling coming from the long grass. "Who's there? Is that you, Dragon Knight?"

" _No, young Grass Knight, it is not the one who's turned._ "

Quinn was startled when he heard the voice in his head. "Then... who are you?"

In reply, a large black dog with a green paw and blank white eyes stepped out of the grass. " _My identity is not important at the moment for my enemies are close by. But tell me, why have you relinquished the mantle of the Knights of Order?_ "

"Why should you care about that?" Quinn demanded. "And how do you know about the Knights of Order?"

" _That is a long story, but there is no time for that. Please enlighten me on your departure._ "

"I don't feel like I'm doing the right thing," Quinn admitted with a sigh. "I joined the Knights of Order in the hopes that I can protect everybody, human and Pokemon alike. But how can I do that when my own Pokémon get hurt in the process?"

" _You think that if you didn't fight back, you could protect the Pokémon you cared about most,_ " the creature guessed. " _Well, answer me this: why did your Grovyle take the attack from Sharphound?_ "

"Because he said he wanted to keep me safe."

" _You see? He wanted to protect you just as much as you did him. And your friends, even though they scoffed at your beliefs, they were willing to protect you too._ "

Quinn scowled and turned his head away. "But they're Pokémon trainers. Their Pokémon get hurt in battle and feel disappointed at failing them. How can I accept them as my friends?"

" _Young one, you shouldn't try to change their minds, just decide that they can take you in whatever your beliefs are. I know that you won't accept the decision to be a trainer like them, but you mustn't hold your Pokémon back from helping you. The fight on the beach will not be the first time they get hurt, nor will it be the last, not as long as Yvestros still lives. And there will be days when the others won't be around to help them. That is when you'll need your Pokémon to fight by your side. Isn't that why Pokémon accepted their role alongside humankind?_ "

Quinn thought about it for a moment then he looked up with a smile. "Yes, you're right. My Pokémon are more than my friends, they're my allies! That's what they need to do. And I have to be there to help them!" He turned to look down the path. "I'm going to get my friends and nothing's going to stop me!"

He turned back to thank the creature, but it was already gone.

 _'Did I imagine that creature helping me?_ ' he thought to himself. Shaking his head, he turned and ran down the path. "Hang on, guys, I'm on my way!"

* * *

"What's taking that Knight so long?" Sharphound growled, pacing in front of Quinn's Pokémon. Grovyle and Leafeon sat in separate cages while Roselia and Floette were trapped together in one crate.

"Just be patient a bit longer," said the Dragon Knight as she sat on a rock sharpening her Dual Chopper. "It takes a while to get from the cliffs to here without using Dig."

"My patience grows thin," CruelLee snapped. "I want to crush that Knight between my tentacles and squeeze him hard until he is crushed, and squeezed!"

"And now that he's without his powers, it will be easy," the Dragon Knight replied. "Wasn't that all part of our delicious little plan?"

"Yes," Sharphound agreed. "And it was your knowledge of Team Plasma that helped us out. Since you knew about the Grass Knight's empathy to their speeches, we aimed our attacks only at the Pokémon, whether they protected their owners or not. And we thus gained enough friction to force him away from his friends."

"And now that we hold his Pokémon," the Dragon Knight finished, "he will have to surrender to us, making his destruction all the more painful!"

"Not a chance!" Quinn yelled as he pushed his way out of the long grass.

"Well, well," the Dragon Knight chuckled. "Look who's here. Come to free your little slaves, huh?"

"I told you before, they're not my slaves!" Quinn growled. "They are my best friends! Now let them go!"

As he stepped forward boldly, CruelLee threw out his leg which stretched out and kicked Quinn in the stomach, driving him to his knees.

"Uh-uh-uh," the Dragon Knight scolded, getting to her feet. "There are a few things I need you to do first. And since you're already bowing down to me, I want to repeat after me: I am no longer a Knight of Order. My life is now in the hands of the Dragon Knight, most loyal servant of Lord Yvestros, King of all Kalos. Okay, now you say it."

Quinn just looked up and glared at her. "Bite me!"

"With pleasure!" Sharphound grabbed Quinn's shoulders and sank his teeth into the Grass Knight's arm.

"AAARRRGGGGH!" Quinn screamed and grabbed his arm to stop the bleeding.

" _Grovyle!_ " called his Grovyle.

"That'll teach you to disobey me!" the Dragon Knight snapped. "Now, once more from the top: I am no longer a Knight of Order-"

"Maybe not, but he's still our friend!"

Suddenly, a jet of water shot out of the grass, splashing over Sharphound and the Dragon Knight and driving them away from Quinn. As CruelLee turned around, he was shot by three electricity bolts that shocked him and drove him to his knees.

Quinn whirled around and saw the other four Knights coming out of the grass, fully morphed and ready for battle. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to help you, of course," Tristan replied, holding out his hand to help Quinn to his feet. "Listen, I'm sorry about what I said back there. We should have been a lot more open-minded about your heroes."

"It's okay, I shouldn't have snapped like that," Quinn said. "But can we wait until after this battle?"

"Sure thing," Electra beamed. "Now let's get those punks!"

"KrokoViles! Come to us!" Sharphound bellowed.

At his command, dozens of KrokoViles appeared around the cages, growling and baring their teeth.

"You hold them off," Quinn told them. "I'm going to save my friends."

But as he ran towards the cages, the KrokoViles jumped in front of him, baring their claws.

"That won't be easy, my friend!" the Dragon Knight gloated.

At that moment, a stream of fire shot out from above, wiping out the KrokoViles in front of Quinn. He looked up just as Charizard swooped down from the sky. "Hang on, my friends!" Gurkinn called out.

"Gurkinn! Etna!" Tristan called. "You've arrived!"

As Gurkinn jumped off to help the others, Etna held up the Morpher. "Hey, Quinn, you're gonna need this!"

She threw it down and Quinn ran to catch it. At the last second, a tentacle lashed out and snatched up the Morpher, pulling it out of his reach.

"Not so fast, Grass Knight!" CruelLee taunted, holding his tentacle up. "If you want it, you're gonna have to fight me for it."

Quinn looked around and saw that the other Knights were busy with Sharphound, the Dragon Knight, and the remaining KrokoViles. Then he turned back to CruelLee. "Bring it on!"

With a laugh, CruelLee swung out another tentacle and lashed Quinn across the cheek. Angrily, Quinn charged in and punched the Poké-Mutant back.

"Poison Jab!" CruelLee yelled. His foot started to glow and he kicked out, hitting Quinn hard on the chest.

In the cages, Quinn's Pokémon watched in horror at the sight of their friend getting hurt.

" _We've got to do something!_ " Roselia cried.

" _But what?_ " Floette asked. " _These cages are too strong for us._ "

Leafeon started bashing into the bars of his cages. " _We can't just sit here and do nothing! Right, Grovyle?_ "

Grovyle didn't say anything, he just sat and watched the fight.

Quinn fell to his knees, feeling weak from the poison in his system. CruelLee stepped over to him, laughing wickedly. "You might as well surrender now. I'm much too strong for you to defeat me because you are weak and I am strong!"

"I'm not... giving up..." Quinn gasped, struggling to stand. "My friends are... counting on me..."

Grovyle kept watching, his eyes glittering with hope.

Quinn finally pulled himself upright. "And I'm not quitting... until they're free!"

Hearing this, Grovyle gritted his teeth.

"Very well, then!" CruelLee threw out his tentacles, wrapping them around Quinn's body, then he started to squeeze hard. "Now I'm going to crush you to death, by crushing you until you die!"

Grovyle threw back his head and gave a yell. " _Grovyyyyyllllllleee!_ "

Suddenly, his body began to glow white. Leafeon, Roselia, and Floette all stared in amazement. CruelLee whirled round, dropping Quinn to the ground. Even the other Knights, Sharphound and the Dragon Knight stopped fighting to look. The light around Grovyle began to grow bigger, eventually breaking through the cage before fading away, revealing a powerful and very angry Sceptile. " _Sceptile!_ "

"Whoa!" Etna gasped. "Grovyle has just evolved!"

Turning to the other cages, Sceptile raised his arms, his blades glowing purple, and swung them round, easily cutting away the bars and freeing the other Pokemon, before leading them towards CruelLee.

"Stay away from me, you little creeps!" CruelLee snapped.

Floette and Roselia ran over to Quinn and used their Aromatherapy to heal him. Sceptile went straight for CruelLee and swung his arm-blades out, cutting through the tentacle that held Quinn's Morpher. Then Leafeon snatched it up and carried it back to Quinn.

"Thanks, guys." Putting his Morpher back on, Quinn turned to face CruelLee. "Now it's time to even the scores!" he snapped, pressing his button. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

A tornado of leaves blew out of his Morpher and flew back into Quinn, forming his armor.

"Leaf Dirks, engage!" Quinn yelled, summoning his weapons which started to glow green.

"Your weapons have gained a new attack!" Gurkinn called out.

Quinn smiled as he faced CruelLee. "Now it's your turn to die! Double Leaf Blade!"

His daggers glowed bright green and shifted into longer blades. He then ran right at CruelLee and swung his weapons in front of him, slicing through the Poke-Mutant. With a painful cry, CruelLee's body was split clean in half and he exploded.

"CruelLee has fallen!" Sharphound cried.

"You fools!" the Dragon Knight yelled. "You've ruined everything!"

"Let that be a lesson to you," Gurkinn warned as he and the others joined Quinn and his Pokémon, Etna and Charizard flying down next to them. "If you take on one member of the Knights of Order, you take on us all!"

"You may have won this round, Knights!" Sharphound snapped. "But you haven't seen the last of us!"

With that, he and the Dragon Knight disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

Once again, the Knights were back at the Pokémon Center. Quinn had sent his Pokémon over to Nurse Joy, just to make sure they hadn't been hurt by the Dragon Knight. Now he sat with the others as they discussed their latest victory.

"I still find it hard to believe that you listened to those Team Plasma guys," Tristan said.

"In my defense, I didn't follow Team Plasma's whole campaign," Quinn explained. "It was just N who I truly admired for his firm belief in his Pokémon friends. And knowing that he managed to tame Zekrom and disband Team Plasma, I really felt like I wanted to continue my adventures. I even grew out my hair into a ponytail to show my respects for him."

"Well, I'm glad that you're still willing to fight alongside us," Gurkinn beamed. "And now that your Grovyle has evolved, he could be a very vital ally in the battles to come."

"That's a good thought," Quinn smiled.

Gurkinn then got up from the table. "Well, I'd better head back to Shalour City. I expect you'll be heading there too."

"Yeah," Etna replied. "But before we head out, I'd like us to head back to Ambrette Town. We didn't get much chance to see the sights there, and there's some good chance that we can find some awesome fossils down there."

"Oh yeah!" Electra cried. "Some fossil Pokémon would be a neat addition to anyone's team."

"That sounds good," Rafi agreed.

"Okay, then. You have fun down there. Oh, and Quinn? I want you to take these." Gurkinn placed three Poké Balls and a Great Ball on the table in front of him. "After that last fight, I think it would be best to keep your Pokémon safe in future."

Quinn looked a bit unsure but he took the Balls anyway. "I'll think about it."

With a nod, Gurkinn turned and left the Pokémon Center. As he waited for Lucario to activate the Transportation Door, he thought over everything that had happened in the last battle. "Not only did Grovyle evolve into Sceptile, but he learned how to use Dual Chop. And that Dragon Knight knows how to use Pokémon attacks. I wonder..."

* * *

 **And on that bombshell, it's time to end this chapter. This one was a bit more difficult to write, hence the long delay, but hopefully, it all works out well.**

 **Also, yes, I deliberately made CruelLee sound like Hundun from Kung Fu Panda. I thought it would be funny. Credit to this Poké-Mutant goes to Martyn, the guest reviewer who made Rafi.**

 **So until next time, see you round**


	17. Fossils and Flare

_Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _While relaxing on the beach at Cyllage City, Marianne, Electra and Etna were attacked by Sharphound, some KrokoViles, and a new Poké-Mutant, CruelLee. Quinn and his Grovyle joined the battle, but the Poké-Mutants focused their attacks on the Pokémon instead of the Knights. Angry at the fact that his Pokémon got hurt, Quinn inadvertently revealed his beliefs in Team Plasma, causing some adverse reactions from the others and forcing him to quit the Knights of Order. But as he was preparing to leave, the Dragon Knight reappeared and kidnapped his Pokémon in an attempt to destroy him. Fortunately, the other Knights came to his rescue and during the battle, Grovyle evolved into Sceptile, helping Quinn to destroy CruelLee. Buoyed by his friends' rescue and some helpful advice from Zygarde, Quinn rejoined the Knights of Order as they planned to set off for Ambrette Town..._

* * *

Chapter 16: Fossils and Flare

The sun had risen on yet another beautiful day, shining down on the coast of Kalos. The waves lapped against the sandy shore, sparkling in the sunlight like precious jewels. On the beach strolled Tristan, Rafi, Marianne, Quinn, Electra, and Etna as they made their way back to Ambrette Town.

"We didn't get much of a chance to look around Ambrette Town," Marianne recalled. "After our ordeal in the caves, we were only able to make it to town by just after nightfall."

"And we left first thing in the morning to get to Cyllage City," Rafi finished. "But now that Tristan and I have beaten the Gym, we have more time to relax."

"There's a lot to do in Ambrette Town when we get there," Etna said with a smile. "But if it's new Pokémon you're looking for, then the Glittering Cave is the best place."

"Not more caves!" Electra groaned. "I thought we were done with those."

"What's so special about the Glittering Cave?" Tristan asked.

"Well, it's the best place to look for fossils," Etna explained. "People collect all kinds of fossils and revive them at the Ambrette Fossil Laboratory."

"I've been there before," Marianne replied. "I revived a Kabuto and an Omanyte from fossils I found in the cave."

"Sounds good," Rafi said. "Maybe I'll find a fossil Pokémon of my own!"

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky agreed.

Quinn smiled while Sceptile nodded behind him. After a lot of debate, Quinn had told his Pokémon that he would have to put them into Poké Balls to keep them safe and while they'd had some qualms about it, Sceptile had helped to convince them that it was better that way. So now Leafeon, Roselia, and Floette were each stored away safely in the Poké Balls on his belt while Sceptile walked alongside him.

"It certainly would be interesting to learn about the type of Pokémon that lived in the old days of Kalos," Quinn remarked.

"Well, there's Ambrette Town now," Etna called, pointing at the cliffs. "Let's get going."

* * *

Up at Yvestros' lair in the mountains, Clemont was hard at work on his newest project. He had told Sabelteur that he'd been working on a new energy cell to increase the Blaster's firepower, but in reality, he planned to use the cell for an elaborate escape. Now he was waiting for the perfect timing.

At that moment, Sabelteur entered the lab, rubbing his claws together eagerly. "Is the cell ready yet, human?"

"Just about finished," Clemont fibbed, slipping the cell under his sleeve. "There are a few adjustments I need to make first."

"Well, hurry it up," Sabelteur snapped, approaching the desk. "My Lord doesn't like to be kept waiting."

As Sabelteur got closer, Clemont reached out and picked up a spanner. "Actually, would you mind checking on the Garchomp Zord again? I think its power is fully charged."

"Really?" Sabelteur ran over to the charger and checked its readings. "Wait, it's only at seventy-five percent. Your calculations must be- OOOF!"

Before he could finish, Clemont bashed him on the head with the spanner, knocking him out. "-Perfectly accurate," he finished as he snatched up his backpack and ran out of the lab. "So long, sucker!"

Once he reached the throne room, he looked around until he spotted Bonnie's cage hanging from the ceiling. "Hang on, Bonnie, I'm on my way!"

As he ran over to the chain, he loaded his cell into the Aipom Arm on his pack, activating it and sending it out at the chain. Slowly the arm lowered the cage down to the floor and Clemont ran over to it...

Only to find that Bonnie wasn't inside.

"Bonnie?" Clemont gasped. "Where'd you go?"

"Looking for someone?"

Clemont whirled round and stared in alarm. On the other side of the room, Yvestros stood with Bonnie in the grip of one giant wing, holding her over three slavering KrokoViles.

"Help! Clemont!" Bonnie shrieked in terror.

"No, Bonnie!" Clemont screamed, running towards her.

Before he could reach Yvestros, Sharphound came out and punched him in the chest, throwing him to the floor.

"Let that be a lesson to you," Yvestros snapped, lifting Bonnie away from the KrokoViles. "If this happens again, I'll feed you both to my army. Sharphound, escort him back to the lab and this time, shackle his legs so that he won't leave again."

"At once, my Lord." Sharphound lifted Clemont to his feet and dragged him back down the corridor.

After Mothitelle had locked up Bonnie in her cage again, she turned to Yvestros. "How much longer must we keep these humans here, my Lord?"

"Just long enough for him to properly rebuild the Garchomp Zord," Yvestros replied. "Then he will no longer be useful, at least not his physical body. His life force, on the other hand... What a perfect fuel to enhance my mutant army!"

* * *

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" Tristan groaned with each step his Rhyhorn took across the cliffs. "Etna, is this- Ow! -really necessary to- Ow! -ride these guys?"

"The route to Glittering Cave is too difficult to cross on foot," Etna called back. "It's rough and jagged, and rocks get in the way. The Rhyhorns are strong enough to break them."

Tristan sighed as they continued along the path. Upon arriving at Ambrette Town, they'd quickly stopped off at the Pokemon Center to heal their Pokémon and for Marianne, Electra, and Etna to do a quick team rotation. Now they were making their way along Route 9, each riding a Rhyhorn. But only Tristan was finding the journey very uncomfortable.

"How can you guys- Ow! -manage this- Ow! -ride?" Tristan called.

"I've ridden a Rhyhorn a few times myself," Quinn replied. "They're quite useful for climbing up mountains."

"And my dad got into Rhyhorn racing a few years ago," Electra added. "It's part of the reason why we moved to Kalos."

"This isn't so bad," Rafi insisted. "You get used to it."

" _Minccino,_ " Lucky agreed.

Marianne was about to add her reasons when a shadow flew over their heads. She looked up in time to see a large Pokémon flying towards the cave. "What is that?"

"Only one way to find out," Etna replied. "Let's head to the cave! HYAH!"

She slapped the side of her Rhyhorn, making it charge faster and smash through a boulder in its path. Immediately, the other Rhyhorn galloped after their friend, making the ride more painful for Tristan.

"I hope- OW! -those fossils- OW! -will be worth- OW! - this trip!" Tristan moaned.

* * *

Before long, they had reached the entrance of the cave and were now climbing off their Rhyhorn steeds.

"Argh!" Tristan groaned, stumbling to his friends. "I'll never walk properly for the next few weeks."

"Oh, don't be such a wimp," Marianne scolded. "You'll have to ride them again if we want to get back."

"Come on, guys, let's go!" Rafi called, already running towards the cave. "I want to get a fossil Pokémon!"

Suddenly there came a loud ear-piercing screech, and a giant Pokémon dived out of the sky, landing in front of Rafi. The Flying Knight gasped in horror as he glanced at the gray Pokémon's jagged teeth and fierce eyes.

"Watch out!" Quinn yelled as he and the others ran towards Rafi.

Tristan quickly pulled Rafi aside and glared at the Pokémon as it gave another loud scream. "What is that?"

"It's an Aerodactyl!" Etna cried. "Stay away, it could be an escaped Pokémon from the Fossil Labs!"

"Whoa, whoa! Easy there, girl, easy!"

Tristan frowned at that new voice. "Huh?"

At that moment, the Aerodactyl lowered its wings, revealing a young man sitting on its back dressed in a white shirt, brown shorts, hiking boots and explorer's hat. At his command, the Aerodactyl calmed down, allowing him to climb off.

"Atta girl," the man smiled, patting its back. Then he turned and spotted Etna and the Knights. "Oh, hey there. Sorry if my Aerodactyl scared you, she gets a bit cranky after a long flight."

"It's no problem," Quinn reassured him. "We were just surprised. I mean, you don't often see living Aerodactyl dropping down on you."

"Don't worry, her bite is far worse than her bark but she'll never hurt any human. Anyway, it's nice to meet you." The young man tipped his hat. "Santos is my name, archaeology's my game."

"Wait a minute," Marianne realised. "I recognize you. You were at the Unova League three years ago when Team Plasma invaded, weren't you?"

Santos chuckled. "Yep, I certainly was."

"And you helped Red fight against Team Rocket at Kanto and again with Gold at Johto," Electra added.

"And you saved Hoenn from Team Aqua and Team Magma," Rafi said

"And you stopped Team Galactic at Sinnoh," Quinn chipped in.

"My fame precedes me once again," Santos laughed. "But it wasn't all me. I did have some help, you know."

"Yes, Camille was with you too," Etna recalled. "We saw here at Cyllage City."

"Camille is here in Kalos?" Santos cried. "I haven't seen her in years."

"I fought with her against Neo Team Plasma in Unova," Marianne replied. "But after our meeting, we haven't seen her since."

"I hope she's okay," Quinn muttered.

"She can handle herself," Santos replied. "Especially with all these strange Poké-Mutants popping up around the place. I'm glad those Poké Rangers are around to help out."

Tristan swapped looks with the others. "Yeah, they've been doing a really great job."

"Anyway, I won't keep you guys around," Santos announced, recalling his Aerodactyl. "You're obviously here to look for some fossils, right?"

"Of course," Tristan replied. "Rafi and I were hoping to add some new Pokémon to our teams."

"We're taking part in the Pokémon League," Rafi added. "So far, we've gotten two badges."

"I've gotten five badges myself," Marianne said.

"Me too!" Electra cried.

"Is that so?" Santos beamed. "Well, it's always nice to meet such promising trainers. Anyway, I'd better get going. See you at the Pokémon League!"

With that, he turned and marched off into the cave.

"What a nice fellow," Electra chuckled.

"Now we should go in there and find some fossils ourselves," Etna replied as she called out her Delphox. "You guys ready?"

As Electra called out her Ampharos, Tristan nodded. "Let's get in there!"

But as they ran off into the caverns below, none of them noticed the Spydove perched on the rocks behind them...

* * *

"Fossil Pokémon, eh?" Yvestros murmured as he examined the Spydove's images. "If that human's Aerodactyl is as powerful as it looked, who knows what other Pokémon those fossils could wield!"

"Sabelteur should be finished with his newest monster," Sharphound reported. "As long as that human didn't damage any vital parts of his brain."

"Fortunately, my ingenuity is still intact." Sabelteur entered the room, his head wrapped up in bandages. "Presenting... Diggalith!"

The monster that stepped in looked like a humanoid Gigalith only without arms. A pair of huge Diggersby ears sprouted from the top of his head.

"Diggalith can easily tunnel through solid rock," Sabelteur explained. "He'll grab us those fossils in no time! Plus, his Sturdy ability should render it impervious to the Knights' Blasters and their Weapons of Order."

"Everything I wanted to hear," Yvestros smiled. "Now, Diggalith, I'll send you to Glittering Cave to dig up as many fossils as you can. You'll be accompanied by the Dragon Knight, just in case things go wrong."

"Understood, my Lord," Diggalith replied.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Geosenge Town, Camille was in the Pokémon Center, making a call to Professor Oak in Kanto.

"So you got your second Kalos badge?" the Professor beamed. "Congratulations! So what's the plan this time?"

"My next Gym is Fighting-Type," Camille replied bluntly. "And I'll need my Psychic Pokémon to help out."

Oak looked a little concerned about Camille's change in attitude, but he quickly smiled again. "Certainly. Of course, you will need to trade some of your Pokémon over."

Before long, Camille now had her Espeon and Slowking on her team, having traded her Samurott and Gogoat. As she walked out of the Pokémon Center, her Morpher started beeping.

"Duty calls," she smiled, ducking into the nearest alley.

* * *

Deep beneath the ground, Santos made his way through the tunnels of Glittering Cave, his path lit up by the glowing moss on the walls and by the Flash emanating from his Raichu's tail.

"Keep your eyes and ears peeled, Raichu," Santos said. "Our target should be around here somewhere."

For a few minutes, they walked carefully down the cave, on the alert for movement. A small flock of Woobat fluttered around the stalactites, Ferroseed shied away from the Flash and two Cubone scuttled out of sight.

Then as they approached some abandoned mine tracks, Raichu's ears pricked up. " _Raichu, rai!_ "

"What is it, buddy?" Santos asked. "You hear something?"

" _Rai, rai._ " Raichu nodded.

Santos cocked his head and soon heard the sound of scrabbling and muttering noises. Turning a corner, he spotted a young green-haired woman searching through an old mine cart. She was dressed in an orange suit, gloves, and boots and was unaware that she was being watched.

Nodding at Raichu, Santos stepped up to the cart and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, have you lost something?"

The woman looked up and jumped, her alarmed expression mostly hidden behind her green goggles. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing much from you," Santos replied. "Just you turning yourself into the authorities."

"Wait a minute... Looker sent you here to arrest me, didn't you?"

"Not just you, dear Bryony. He's got an outstanding warrant for all former members of Team Flare who went missing after the Geosenge incident two years ago. And since I've been involved with a number of evil teams in the past, it's only fitting that I should mop up this team."

"Then I'm sorry to say that your bounty hunting days are over," Bryony snapped, taking out two Poké Balls. "Liepard, Bisharp, let's deal with this loser!"

In a flash, her two Pokemon appeared. Liepard snarled and bared its teeth while Bisharp raised its bladed gloves.

"This will be easy. Raichu, get ready to battle!" As Raichu bounded forward, Santos took out another Poké Ball. "Sylveon, help out too!"

With a burst of light, Sylveon appeared, landing next to Raichu.

"Bring it on," Bryony laughed. "Team Flare's light will never be extinguished!"

* * *

Elsewhere in the cave, the Knights were hard at work, looking for some fossils.

"To find some good fossils," Etna explained as they reached an area next to another abandoned mine cart, "we'll need to dig for them. I'll help you to find some good ones."

"Alright, Sandslash," Tristan called, sending his Pokémon out. "Let's dig up some fossils!"

"I've got someone to help out too," Marianne added, throwing her Poké Ball out.

In a flash, a large brown insect-like Pokemon with scythes for arms appeared. Tristan quickly scanned it with his Pokédex. "A Kabutops, huh? That's pretty cool."

"Kabutops, go and help Sandslash Dig," Marianne ordered.

" _Kabutops!_ " With a nod, Kabutops walked up to the cave wall and hacked at it with his blades. Sandslash bounded up next to him and began to dig too.

"You could also smash some of those boulders," Etna suggested. "There might be some fossils in there."

"I'll help you out," Electra said, throwing out her Poké Ball. "Electabuzz, let's do some Rock Smashing!"

In an instant, Electabuzz appeared next to Ampharos. Stepping next to a boulder, he raised his arm and punched it into pieces.

Suddenly the whole cavern started to shake.

"What's happening?" Quinn cried out, looking around.

"Did Electabuzz hit that rock too hard?" Rafi yelled.

"No, this earthquake is coming from elsewhere!" Etna replied. "But who's doing that?"

Tristan gasped as cracks began to form on the cave wall. "I think we're about to find out!"

* * *

Santos looked up in alarm as the cave began to shake. "What's going on?"

"Is the cave gonna collapse?" Bryony cried, running up to the mine cart. "No, I must complete my mission here!"

"Sylveon, stop her!" Santos yelled.

" _Syl-vee!_ " Sylveon whipped out one of her ribbon-like tendrils to grab Bryony's wrist, pulling her away from the cart.

"Bisharp, attack Sylveon with Metal Claw!" Bryony ordered.

Bisharp came running up, its claws glowing silver, and swiped Sylveon away, releasing her grip on Bryony.

"Raichu, Focus Punch!" Santos snapped.

Raichu raised his paw, which started to glow, and charged towards Bisharp.

"Liepard, interrupt that attack with Fury Swipes!"

With a snarl, Liepard pounced towards Raichu, raising its claws...

* * *

The cave wall suddenly burst open, sending rocks flying everywhere. Etna, the Knights, and their Pokémon ducked down to avoid getting hit.

"What was that?" Tristan cried.

"Well, well, look what we have here!" called the Dragon Knight as she stepped out of the hole in the wall.

"You again!" Quinn yelled. "Can't you leave us alone?"

"Afraid not," the Dragon Knight retorted. "You see, we heard that you were looking for some fossils around here and Lord Yvestros has some plans of his own for them."

"No way!" Tristan yelled. "If you want those fossils, you'll have to get through us first!"

With that, the Knights raised their Morphers and pressed the morph buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

Their respective elements burst out of their Morphers and struck their bodies, forming their armor.

With a dismissive snort, the Dragon Knight turned to the hole. "Hey, Diggalith! We've got some trouble here."

"Trouble?" A Gigalith mutant with Diggersby ears came stomping out behind the Dragon Knight. "Time to crush some Knights!"

"Whoa, check out that guy!" Marianne gasped.

"Let's take him down!" Tristan yelled. "Elemental Blasters, go!"

The Knights raised their guns and fired at Diggalith, but none of the shots seemed to affect him.

"Is that your best shot?" Diggalith laughed. "Now it's my turn! Mud Shot!"

He grabbed some mud from the ground with his ears and hurled it at the Knights who quickly ducked down. Electra, however, was struck by the mud and thrown back against the cave wall, her armor sparking wildly.

"Electra!" Quinn gasped.

"Why didn't our shots hit him?" Tristan asked. "He should at least have been affected by Marianne and Quinn's blasters."

"If I remember correctly, Gigalith's Ability, Sturdy, renders him unable to get too badly harmed by super-effective attacks," Marianne replied.

"Here I come, Knights!" the Dragon Knight yelled, charging at full force. "Dragon Rush!"

"No, you don't!" Tristan dived forward and tackled the Dragon Knight, throwing them both into the mine cart which creaked alarmingly.

As Etna ran over to them, the cart started to roll forward along the tracks, getting steadily faster.

"Tristan!" Rafi yelled, running after the cart.

"Not so fast!" Diggalith bellowed, hurling a rock at them. "Smack Down!"

Rafi jumped back at the last second, avoiding the rock that landed between him and Etna and the cart.

"I'll go after Tristan!" Etna shouted, running down the track. "You try to deal with that monster!"

"Be careful!" Quinn called, before turning back to Diggalith. "This might be a difficult challenge..."

* * *

Outside the entrance of the cave, a black dog-like creature approached, examining the cave with blank white eyes.

" _They're in here all right. But the one who's turned is down there too. I'll have to move fast._ "

* * *

"Sylveon, grab Liepard and give it a Draining Kiss!"

Lashing out her tendrils again, Sylveon caught Liepard in midair, pulled it towards her and gave it a gentle kiss on the cheek. Liepard cried out as its health was reduced.

Meanwhile, Raichu's attack finished charging and he punched Bisharp hard, sending it flying back at Bryony and knocking her to the ground.

"That should keep you still," Santos announced, walking up to the cart. "Now to see what was so vitally important in there..." Reaching inside, he pulled out a black leather case. "Ah-ha! What do we have here?"

"That's not yours!" Bryony snapped, struggling from under Bisharp's weight. "Those are detailed instructions from our boss to be located and opened upon his plan's failure!"

"Is that so?" Santos asked coyly, stepping up to Bryony. "Are there other cases like it?"

"No, I'll never talk!" Bryony yelled.

"In that case, I'll force the answers out. Sylveon, do your thing!"

Letting go of the weakened Liepard, Sylveon lowered her tendrils to Bryony's sides and started to tickle her.

"No, stop! Stop it!" Bryony gasped as she started to laugh. "Ahahahaha- Stop it! Ahahaha! I can't handle this!"

"Tell us where the other cases are, and she'll stop."

"Okay! Ahahahaha! Okay! Ahahahahaha! I'll talk, I'll ta-hahaha-lk!"

"Hold up, Sylveon!" As Sylveon pulled her tendrils back, Santos knelt next to Bryony. "Now start talking."

"Alright, have you noticed all these strange Pokémon-hybrid attacks that have been happening around the region?" Bryony asked.

"Yes."

"Well, Xerosic believes that they are related to an incident that happened two thousand years after the Ultimate Weapon was first used. The Weapon was initially tuned to harness Yveltal's energy and completely change the world. But a thousand years ago, Yveltal's energy created a terrible being known as Yvestros who almost conquered the land until he was defeated by a mysterious group of heroes, the Knights of Order. Our leader, Lysandre, believed that Yvestros had actually survived the last battle and was waiting to be revived. And now Xerosic has seen signs that Yvestros has awakened."

"What possible use could Team Flare have for an evil wizard from a thousand years ago?" Santos asked puzzled.

"The Ultimate Weapon may have been destroyed and Yveltal freed by those blasted kids, but Xerosic believes that Yvestros has the same sort of powers that could match the Weapon. So he hid some plans for our next moves across the land, each one giving details on his newest plan."

"I see," Santos murmured. "And where are the next cases to be found?"

But before Bryony could reply, they heard a loud scraping noise coming from around the corner, followed by sounds of fighting.

"What the...?" Santos asked.

Suddenly a mine cart came barreling around the corner. On board were two figures in fancy armor; one red and one purple attacking each other.

"Look out!" Santos cried, pushing Raichu and Sylveon off the tracks.

Bisharp grabbed Bryony and Liepard and jumped aside... just as the cart hurtled past them and crashed into the still cart, throwing the red figure out.

As the other figure stood up in the cart, Bryony gasped. "It's them! The Knights of Order!"

"What?" Santos breathed.

Just then, Etna came running around the corner. "Tristan! Are you okay?"

Bryony whirled round to look at her. "You!"

"Bryony?" Etna gasped.

"You've got some nerve coming here after what you've done!" Bryony snapped.

"What happened to Lysandre was not my fault!" Etna retorted. "The machine was tampered with somehow, it was rigged to explode!"

"You and those kids were the last ones to activate the Machine! I don't know what you did, but you murdered our glorious leader! I'm surprised you didn't kill your own aunt in the attempt!"

Etna narrowed her eyes. "You leave Aunt Malva out of this!"

"What's going on here?" Santos yelled.

"Enough of this!" the purple Knight yelled, pointing her pistol at Etna. "You're not going to interfere in my quest to destroy the Knights of Order!"

"Destroy them?" Hearing her voice, Santos whirled around to face the Dragon Knight. "Wait a minute... It can't be..."

"No!" The other Knight grabbed her arm, spoiling the shot, then started to struggle with her.

In the confusion, Bryony pushed past Etna, snatched the case out of Santos' grip and dashed out of the tunnel with her Pokémon. "This isn't over, fools! Team Flare will be reignited soon!"

"Come back!" Santos bellowed.

Meanwhile, the Dragon Knight pulled free from Tristan and fired at him, driving him back. "Now to finish you off!"

"Tristan!" Etna yelled.

"Raichu, stop her with Thunderbolt!" Santos ordered. "Sylveon, Fairy Wind!"

Bounding forward, Raichu launched a bolt of lightning at the Dragon Knight, striking her pistol out of her hand. Then Sylveon raised her tendrils and whipped them hard, sending out a gust of wind that struck her out of the mine cart.

"AAAARRRGHH!" the Dragon Knight cried as she hit the ground. "It doesn't matter that you beat me! I've still got enough fossils for my Lord, and hopefully, the others have been defeated by Diggalith! I'm out of here!"

With that, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Damn it, she got away again," Tristan sighed.

"Never mind her for now," Etna said. "We've got to get back to the others. Sorry, Santos, no time to explain."

"Just go," Santos told them. "Don't worry about me."

As Etna and Tristan ran back down the tunnel, Santos turned to the spot that the Dragon Knight was standing. "Camille...? I don't understand..."

* * *

"Rock Blast!" Diggalith yelled, hurling rocks from the tunnel at the Knights.

Quinn pulled Electra aside while Rafi and Marianne dived out of the way.

"How do we stop this guy?" Marianne panted. "We've thrown everything at him; our Blasters, my Water Cannon, Rafi's Bow. Even our Pokémon couldn't defeat him."

"We can't hold out much longer," Quinn sighed. "This could be it for us all."

"Ready or not, Knights, here I come!" Diggalith shouted. "Hammer Arm!"

Quinn looked up and saw Diggalith jumping towards them, ears raised up and ready to crush them into the ground...

" _Dragon Pulse!_ "

Suddenly a beam of purple light shot out of the darkness, knocking Diggalith off course and sending him crashing into the stalagmites.

"What was that?" Electra cried.

" _Knights of Order_ _, are you alright?_ " came a voice in their heads.

The Knights whirled round and saw a black and green dog stepping towards them.

"It's you!" Quinn and Marianne gasped.

"Zygarde!" Rafi cheered. "You saved us!"

At that moment, Tristan and Etna came running round the corner, stopping as they saw the creature.

"What is that?" Tristan said.

"I was about to ask that myself," Electra agreed.

"This is Zygarde, the Legendary Pokémon of Order," Marianne replied. "He's the one who created the Knights of Order a thousand years ago."

"I met him on Route 10," Quinn added. "But at the time, I thought I imagined him."

"And he's responsible for saving Gurkinn's life," Rafi finished.

" _While that is true, you must be talking about my brother,_ " Zygarde said. " _I am the secondary Core that makes up the full form of Zygarde. I was sent to hunt down the one who's turned._ "

Marianne looked closer and saw that this Zygarde had a blue gem on his collar. "Oh yeah, so he is."

"The one who's turned?" Tristan asked.

"He must be talking about the Dragon Knight," Etna assumed. "Well, you just missed her. She escaped our clutches."

" _Then I shall trace her down from here,_ " Zygarde declared. " _But before I do, you're going to need some help against this monster._ "

"We've done everything we could to him," Quinn protested. "None of our attacks worked on him."

"And we've never been able to harm the Dragon Knight at all," Tristan added. "But she can hurt us with her Pokémon attacks. I've never known the Knights of Order to use Pokémon attacks like that."

" _Then it's time to even the scales,_ " Zygarde decided. " _The original Knights of Order were indeed able to use Pokémon attacks similar to the Pokémon that matched their armor. Now it is time that you learned the skills of your ancestors!_ "

Stepping into the middle of the group, Zygarde closed his eyes and focused his energy. A circle of green light formed beneath his body, spreading out to touch Tristan, Rafi, Marianne, Quinn, and Electra. Etna watched in amazement as the Knights' armor started to glow green for a few moments. Then the light faded and Zygarde opened his eyes.

" _I have now given you the ability to use Pokémon attacks,_ " he told them. " _You'll need to learn them quickly to defeat this monster. I'll be back to teach you the moves to defeat the one who's turned. Good luck, Knights of Order._ " With that, he bounded away down the tunnel.

At that moment, Diggalith burst out of the rubble, looking furious. "I don't know what you guys did, but you're not going to get away with that!"

"Time to learn your attacks quickly, guys!" Etna called. "Go for it!"

"Here goes nothing," Marianne murmured, holding out her hands. "Water Pulse!"

A glowing blue ball formed in her hands and she threw it out. As the ball struck Diggalith, it burst into an explosion of water that swept over him.

"AAAARRRGGGGHH!" Diggalith screamed.

"It's hurting him!" Rafi cried. "Let's keep it up!"

"Leaf Storm!" Quinn summoned a tornado of leaves and hurled them at Diggalith, who was sliced up by the super-effective attack.

"Thunder Punch!" Electra ran forward, her fist charging with electricity, and punched Diggalith in the face.

"Aerial Ace!" Rafi charged towards Diggalith who raised his ears again. Dodging the attack, the Flying Knight swung around, pulled out a Feather Arrow and slashed the Poke-Mutant's back.

"Let's finish this!" Tristan yelled. "Flare Blitz!"

His whole body burst into flames as he charged in, bashing right into Diggalith. The Poke-Mutant was thrown back into the hole, crashing into the wall and exploding with a flash.

"You did it!" Etna cheered. "You stopped Diggalith!"

"And it was all thanks to Zygarde!" Rafi added.

* * *

Camille marched into the throne room, carrying a number of fossils in her arms, and deposited them at Yvestros' feet. "I have brought you the fossils as requested, my Lord."

"Excellent work," Yvestros beamed. "Even though Diggalith has failed and the Knights of Order are still standing, we might have a better chance of destroying them next time. Take these fossils to Sabelteur and we'll discuss our next moves."

"At once, my Lord," Camille replied, picking up the fossils again.

She carried them all the way to the laboratory, where Clemont was sitting on his desk again, his arms shackled to the chair as he worked.

"Hey, Sabelteur!" Camille snapped. "I got the fossils for you."

"Ah, perfect!" Sabelteur picked them up and smiled menacingly. "I'm going to enjoy working with these things."

"In the meantime, I'd better get back to my training," Camille said, pressing her Morpher's button. "Destruction's Shadow, return!"

In a flash of light, her armor disappeared and she turned and left the lab.

"Now to get to work, extracting these fossils' DNA," Sabelteur chuckled before turning to Clemont. "You, human, get back to work!"

With that, Sabelteur left the room, passing by Clemont's discarded backpack and not noticing the flashing red light next to his Aipom arm...

* * *

"These monsters are getting tougher by the second," Tristan panted as he and his friends came out of the tunnel.

"It was lucky that Zygarde just happened to be around at the time," Gurkinn replied over the communicator. "I had a feeling that he would give you your special attacks. By the way, sorry I wasn't able to warn you about Diggalith. I'll do a lot better next time. Gurkinn out."

"Well, at least the trip wasn't a total loss," Tristan beamed, holding up a fossil shaped like a jaw.

"Yeah," Rafi agreed, holding up a feather-shaped fossil. "I can't wait to see what Pokémon we get out of these."

"And once we're done with that, it's on to Geosenge Town," Marianne declared.

Etna didn't respond, she just nodded.

Tristan was quick to notice. "What's wrong? Are you still thinking about that Team Flare guy?"

"I thought I'd never see those guys after the Weapon was destroyed," Etna replied glumly. "But seeing Bryony here was unexpected, to say the least. If she's here, who knows if the rest of Team Plasma is around."

"Well, don't worry," Tristan reassured her. "Whatever happens, we'll always be by your side."

On hearing those words, Etna smiled. "Thanks, Tristan."

"Come on, guys!" Electra called, running down the cliff path. "Let's get these Rhyhorns back to town!"

"Oh no!" Tristan groaned. "Do we have to?"

The others just laughed, including Etna.

* * *

Inside the cave, Santos was considering everything that had happened. "The Knights of Order have returned after a thousand years, no doubt battling the forces of this Yvestros. But why would Camille be fighting against them?"

" _Who is Camille?_ "

Santos whirled around at the voice he heard in his head. "Who's there?"

"C _ould that be the name of the one who's turned?_ "

"The one who's turned?" Santos asked. "What does that mean?"

" _Yvestros has used his dark magic to turn a human into his own Evil Knight who's now been battling the Knights of Order._ "

"No, that can't be true!" Santos yelled, clenching his fists. "Camille would never turn back to the side of evil! She promised me after her time with Team Rocket!"

" _So you know a lot about Camille, do you?_ "

"Yes." Santos raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so interested in this?"

In response, a large black dog with blank eyes and a green paw stepped out of the shadows. " _Because that info might end up saving your friend..._ "

* * *

 **And here's where this chapter ends. So now Team Flare might be making an appearance in this story. Plus another new character has been introduced.**

 **If I'm lucky, I might be able to post out another chapter before I go on my two-week pre-Christmas holiday. If not, hope you all have a Merry Christmas.**

 **Either way, see you next time**


	18. An Exchange of Views

_Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _The Knights arrived at Ambrette Town, hoping to find some fossils to revive new Pokemon for their teams. Once there, they met up with Santos, an archaeologist with an incredible history who was on a secret mission to round up the remnants of Team Flare. They also came across the Dragon Knight again, this time aided by a powerful Poke-Mutant named Diggalith who was impervious to the Knights' weapons. During the battle, Etna was faced with a figure from her past while Zygarde's secondary core helped the Knights unlock their special Pokémon_ _attacks to defeat Diggalith before it confronted Santos to learn about the Dragon Knight's identity..._

* * *

Chapter 17: An Exchange of Views

Yvestros drummed his fingers on his throne's armrests, while his Poké-Mutant generals watched him, none of them daring to interrupt. Only Camille, who now wore a dark purple dress with black wings, was waiting with keen interest.

"It's clear that these Knights of Order are a tight-knit team," Yvestros finally spoke. "So far, we have tried to take them on separately, turn their fears against them and force them to leave. But each time, they've managed to team up and defeat us."

"If only we knew what it is that keeps them together," Sharphound said. "Or learn some secret that we could use against them."

"My Lord, I may have an idea," Camille announced. "When I was working with Team Rocket, their boss, Giovanni, made me go undercover as a normal Pokemon trainer, allowing me to discover the best areas to kidnap Pokémon."

Yvestros narrowed his eyes. "Go on..."

"Well, it got me thinking. What if we managed to infiltrate the Knights from within? We could learn something valuable from them, and they won't even know it."

"Hmmm..." Sabelteur rubbed his chin in thought. "I think I know what it is we need."

"Let me guess," Mothitelle cut in. "Another monster?"

"But a most special monster indeed," Sabelteur corrected. "Give me time, my Lord, and I will concoct exactly what we need..."

* * *

"Whoa!" Tristan, Rafi and Quinn gasped, looking down at the massive hole in the centre of town.

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky added.

"Hard to believe there used to be three standing stones in that very spot, huh?" Etna asked.

"And that was where Team Flare had their secret HQ?" Rafi cried.

"Yup," Etna replied. "Two years ago, they attempted to harness the power of an ancient weapon buried in that spot to rebuild the world. And they nearly succeeded if it weren't for Serena, Callum and me."

The Knights had arrived at Geosenge Town, the epicentre of a disaster that almost destroyed Kalos. While Marianne and Electra were shopping for supplies, Etna decided to show the others around the town.

"So you helped defeat Team Flare?" Quinn asked. "That makes you a hero!"

"Oh well, it wasn't much really," Etna chuckled modestly. "Serena and Callum were the ones who freed Yveltal and defeated Lysandre. All I did was keep the rest of Team Flare at bay." She then gave a sigh. "But now that some of Team Flare's members are still out there, they might be plotting their revenge."

"We'll keep an eye out for them," Tristan promised. "Now let's head back to the Pokémon Center. Marianne and Electra should be finished by now."

"You go on ahead," Etna said, glancing at the hole again. "I think I'll stay here for a bit."

"Okay, but don't be too long," Tristan called as he set off after Rafi and Quinn. "I'd like to leave for Shalour City as soon as we can."

Once the Knights were gone, Etna slowly made her way around the hole, feeling sad. "Oh Aunt Malva, wherever you are, I hope you're safe and sound."

"How touching, caring for someone who was working for your enemy."

Etna whirled round to see the Dragon Knight stepping out from behind the only house still standing. Quickly, she raised her fists. "You stay away from me!"

"Now, now, let's not jump to conclusions here," the Dragon Knight chuckled. "After all, you and I have something in common now; I used to work for Team Rocket and you have a relative who used to work for Team Plasma. What would the others think if they knew?"

"They wouldn't care anyway!" Etna snapped. "They'll accept me whatever my family did!"

"Interesting," the Dragon Knight mused, rubbing her chin. "Anyway, I have something I need to tell you. Why don't you come a little closer?"

"Not likely," Etna retorted, backing away slowly. "This sounds like a trap to me."

"How right you are."

Suddenly Etna felt something grab her and lift her into the air. Turning her head around, she found herself in the grip of a bright blue Reuniclus with the head and long antennae of a Manaphy and a red jewel on its chest.

"By the way," the Dragon Knight said, stepping up to them. "Have you met my new minion, the Exchanger?"

"Let me go!" Etna yelled, struggling in the Poke-Mutant's grip.

"I'm afraid that's not possible," the Dragon Knight answered. "You see, your friends have some information that my Lord desperately needs, and with your help, I'm going to get it from them."

"Whatever it is you want, I'm never going to speak!"

"Oh please, interrogation is all very well, but the victims never reveal much even under pressure. No, what I had in mind is something a bit more... _in_ formative." The Dragon Knight stood next to the Poke-Mutant. "Exchanger, do it!"

"Yes, my lady," the Exchanger replied, raising his antennae until they were over Etna and the Dragon Knight. "Beginning Soul Swap!"

As he spoke, the tips of his antennae began to glow red then two beams of light shot out and hit Etna and the Dragon Knight. Etna cried out in pain, feeling her mind start to burn. She closed her eyes tight, willing the pain to stop.

Finally, it was over as quickly as it started and Etna found that she could move again. But as she got to her feet, she felt somewhat ungainly. "What just... happened...?" It was then she realised that her voice had dramatically changed, much more low-pitched than her normal tones. Slowly she opened her eyes and lifted her hands...

Only to find that she was wearing the Dragon Knight's gloves. And as she looked down, she saw that she was now in the Dragon Knight's armor too! "No... this can't be happening..."

"Oh, it's happening all right," came her own voice next to her.

Looking up, Etna gasped in horror as she saw her own body looking down at her with a sinister smirk. "Wh-What have you done?!"

"This is the Exchanger's special ability," the Dragon Knight replied in Etna's voice. "Using the power of Manaphy's Heart Swap, he can take any two individuals and swap their minds around or trap them in special little vessels for transport. Now with his help and your body, I can spy on the Knights of Order without arousing suspicion."

"And what happens to me?" Etna asked weakly.

"That's what I wanted to tell you." The Dragon Knight bent down and whispered in Etna's ear, "My Lord has some questions to ask you. Exchanger, take her back to Yvestros' lair!"

"Yes, my lady," the Exchanger responded, grabbing Etna again.

The next thing Etna knew, her vision was obscured by a cloud of black smoke and she felt herself disappearing...

* * *

Meanwhile, Tristan, Rafi, and Quinn had arrived back at the Pokémon Center where they found Marianne and Electra seated by a table in the corner. Electra's Pikachu lay on the floor, munching on some Poffin treats. Lucky bounded off Rafi's shoulder and went to join him.

"Hey, guys!" Electra called as the others came up. "Are you done seeing around the town?"

"Pretty much," Tristan replied. "Etna's still by the big hole, but she said she'll join us soon."

"Man, it must be tough to be a well-known hero," Rafi sighed.

"We're heroes ourselves," Quinn reminded him. "We've been saving Kalos all the time."

"Yes, but nobody knows our true selves," Rafi countered. "Etna didn't have a secret identity, and she managed to help save this region before us."

"There was a time that I was a hero myself," Marianne said. "Before I came to Kalos, I was at Unova battling Neo Team Plasma alongside Camille."

"Gosh, Camille was there too?" Tristan asked. "If only we knew where she is now..."

At that moment, Etna came into the Pokémon Center, looking around until she spotted the Knights. "Ah, there you guys are."

"Oh, Etna, you're back!" Marianne called, unaware that the Dragon Knight was now possessing her friend's body. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, all is well," 'Etna' replied stiffly. "So shall we get going?"

"In a hurry, are we?" Tristan asked. "Shouldn't we rest for a while first?"

"Didn't you just say that you and Raphael were eager to get your next badge?" 'Etna' retorted.

Rafi frowned upon hearing his full name while Tristan looked concerned. "Well, yes, but-"

"No buts. Let's go now."

Quinn frowned. "Are you feeling alright, Etna? You're not usually this demanding."

"I said I was fine," 'Etna' snapped. "Now are we going or what?"

" _Pika!_ " Pikachu yelled, jumping to his feet.

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky cried, baring her tiny fists.

"Hey, take it easy," Rafi cut in, getting between them. "You're a little on edge because of Team Flare, we get it. Tristan said that we'll protect you and we will. But if you want us to go, then we'll go. How far is it to Shalour City?"

"If we leave now, we should make it to Reflection Cave by this afternoon," Electra replied. "Then once we pass through, we'll make it to Shalour City before nightfall."

"I can't wait to see the city properly," Tristan said eagerly. "We never saw anything beyond the Tower of Mastery."

"Well, let's get going," Marianne decided. "The sooner we reach Shalour City, the better!"

Unnoticed by the others, 'Etna' gave a malicious grin. "Yes, all according to plan..."

* * *

Meanwhile, the real Etna woke up in a prison cell, aware that she was being watched. Looking up, she gasped as she saw Yveltal staring down at her, but as she jumped up, she could see the more human features in the figure. "So you're awake now?" it asked in a demonic voice.

"You must be Yvestros," Etna breathed in shock.

"Lord Yvestros to you, mortal!" Sharphound snapped as he came into view. "King of all Kalos and soon the whole world!"

"Now then, since our Dragon Knight has been kind enough to bring you here," Yvestros sneered, "we've got a few questions to ask about this Team Flare. Tell us what you know and we might spare your life."

"Yeah, right!" Etna snapped. "You're probably gonna kill me afterward!"

"Not as long as you're still in the body of our Dragon Knight," Yvestros retorted. "But that doesn't mean I can't do this! Dark Pulse!"

Yvestros fired a beam of light from his beak that struck Etna and sent her flying back into the cell wall.

"Think about that for a few minutes," Yvestros snapped. "Then maybe you'll be more willing to talk. Come, Sharphound, let us leave our guest to her thoughts."

With that, they left the prison, leaving Etna trapped in a strange place and in a strange body...

* * *

Santos sighed as he looked out over the land from the cliffs of Cyllage City before turning round. "Alright, Zygarde, if that's what you really are, what do you want to know?"

The dog-shaped Pokémon looked over at him. " _My fellow core and I have been tracking down the Knight who's turned, this Camille as you called her. While I was able to follow her scent to those caves, I have been unsuccessful in learning more about her true self. But you seem to have a history with her. If you can divulge your knowledge onto me, perhaps there may be a chance of freeing her from Yvestros' evil spell. I seem to recall you saying something about Camille being evil once before?_ "

"Yes, that's right," Santos admitted, sitting down next to Zygarde. "But it wasn't of her own volition. She got captured by Team Rocket, a group of criminals in Kanto who kidnapped Pokémon and tried to take over a major company. Their boss, a ruthless Gym Leader named Giovanni, forced her into their ranks and turned her into one of their admins."

" _And how is it that you came to know her?_ "

"Well, back then, I was just a young trainer," Santos explained. "Me and my friend, Red, we had just started traveling together on our journey to the Pokémon League. On the way, we arrived at Mt. Moon and that's when we first ran into Team Rocket..."

* * *

" _Hey, get back here!" Red yelled, running after an escaping Zubat as it flew away into the caves. "Oh, I almost had that one."_

" _Sure you did," Santos scoffed, coming up behind Red with his Charmander. "You may have weakened that Zubat, but he was still strong enough to break out of that Poké Ball."_

"Charmander, char, _" said Charmander with a nod._

" _Well, he just got lucky," Red muttered. "Come on, let's keep going."_

" _I can't wait 'til we get to Cerulean City," Santos cried eagerly. "That next badge is as good as mine!"_

 _As they turned a corner, they suddenly saw two figures hunched over a pile of rocks. They were both wearing black uniforms, black caps, and grey belts._

" _Come on, where are they?" one man grunted. "How are we supposed to find those fossils anyway?"_

" _I don't know, but we'd better move quickly," the other man replied. "The boss won't be too happy if we come back empty-handed."_

" _Excuse me," Red called out. "Have you guys lost something?"_

 _The two men jumped up and spun around, revealing a large red R on the front of their uniforms._

" _What? Stay out of this, kids!" the first man snapped. "This is a private matter!"_

" _Hey now, what's the big deal?" Santos yelled. "We're just curious, is all."_

" _I don't think those kids are gonna leave," the second man said. "Ready to take them down?"_

" _Yeah," the first man replied. "Let's show these kids not to mess with Team Rocket!"_

 _With that, the men threw out their Poké Balls, calling out a Rattata and a Sandshrew._

" _Whoa, what's up with these guys?" Red cried._

" _I don't know, but we'd better fight back," Santos replied. "Charmander, let's fight them!"_

" _You too, Bulbasaur!" Red called, summoning his first Pokémon._

 _But before the battle even started, there came a loud angry chittering noise. Red, Santos and the two men turned round and saw a flock of Zubats flying towards them._

" _Hey, Red," Santos said slowly, pointing at one Zubat among the flock. "Doesn't that look like the Zubat you were fighting earlier?"_

" _Uh oh," Red gulped. "He must have called his friends for some payback."_

" _RUN!" the two men yelled._

 _Hearing the shouts, the Zubat swooped down towards them. Red and Santos grabbed their Pokémon and ran for their lives, the two men running in the opposite direction..._

* * *

"We managed to escape the Zubat, but we got separated in the caves." Santos lifted his head up, feeling the memories surfacing. "I had ended up closest to the exit, so I thought I'd head out to wait for Red. But, that was when I first met her..."

* * *

 _Panting heavily, Santos looked around the cave. "I should be almost out. I hope Red's okay."_

" _Help! Help!"_

" _Someone's in trouble," Santos gasped, running through the tunnel. "I'd better help out!"_

 _Soon he turned a corner and spotted another figure in a black hat, shirt and mini shorts and knee-high boots accompanied by an Ekans cornering a cowering super nerd in the corner._

" _Just hand them over and I won't have to hurt you," the figure demanded._

" _N-no, I won't l-let you t-take them," the super nerd stammered._

" _Leave him alone!" Santos yelled._

 _As the figure turned around, Santos couldn't help but stare in shock. The Rocket member was a girl barely older than ten with long purple hair. "What are you looking at?" she snapped._

 _Santos' eyes flicked down to the R on her uniform then he turned to his Charmander. "Whoever Team Rocket is, they're recruiting kind of young, aren't they?"_

"Char, char, _" Charmander replied._

" _Please save me!" the super nerd called out. "They're trying to steal my precious fossils!"_

" _What?" Santos cried._

" _Shut up, you idiot!" the Rocket girl snapped, slapping the nerd. "Well, now you've learned too much of our plans, I'm gonna have to take you out. Ekans, go get him!"_

"Ekanssss! _" The Poison Pokémon darted forward and wrapped its body around Santos, squeezing him tight._

" _Charmander, Metal Claw!" Santos gasped._

 _At his command, Charmander raised his claws, which glowed white, and swiped out, slashing Ekans in the face._

" _Don't hold back!" the girl yelled. "Drive that Charmander away with Poison Sting!"_

 _Lifting its head, Ekans fired a volley of glowing pins from its mouth. Quickly, Charmander dived out of the way, avoiding the pins. Then he charged towards Ekans, fire flickering on his teeth, and grabbed its tail in a powerful bite. With a hiss of pain, Ekans pulled away, releasing Santos from its grip._

" _Thanks, Charmander!" Santos called. "Now finish it off with Flame Burst!"_

 _Charmander pulled his head back then launched a ball of fire from his mouth. The fireball scorched through the air and struck Ekans hard, sending it flying back against the cave wall._

" _No! That's impossible!" the girl shouted as Ekans fell to the ground knocked out._

 _Santos stepped closer to the girl, arms folded over his chest. "Now let that guy go!"_

 _With a sigh, she recalled her Ekans then took out a walkie-talkie. "All units, the mission is a failure. Recall your Pokémon and exit the cave at once. Out." Then she turned and ran out of the cave._

" _Oh thank you so much!" the nerd cheered. "That girl was about to do me in if you hadn't come when you did!" He then reached into his backpack and took out two fossils. "As a token of my appreciation, I'd like you to have one of my fossils."_

 _Santos, however, was still looking down the tunnel where the girl had left, his mind still reeling from seeing such a young person on this mysterious team..._

* * *

"As time went on, I kept seeing her around Kanto and learned a little more about Team Rocket." Santos sighed as his story came to an end. "Eventually, I was able to find out her terrible secret and I managed to save her. We soon became close friends and we traveled across the world, catching new Pokémon, defeating evil teams and taking on the Leagues of each region."

" _Then why were you not with her in Kalos?_ " Zygarde asked.

"Camille wanted to take a break from saving the world and left for the Orange Islands," Santos explained. "So I went to Unova on my own and then also took some time off to learn archaeology before coming here. But I never thought that Camille would fall back to evil again."

" _Even so, with your help, there might be a chance to save her. I am certain that the Knights of Order will appreciate the information._ "

Santos turned to look back over Cyllage City. "That's if Camille hasn't done something horrible to them yet..."

* * *

At that very moment, Camille was still biding her time. Being in Etna's body was helping her gain some useful knowledge on the Knights during the journey to Shalour, but she had to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.

"There it is!" Marianne called as they left the Reflection Cave, pointing out the city ahead of them. "We've reached Shalour City!"

"Finally!" Tristan cheered. "Now I can get my next badge!"

"Me too!" Rafi cried.

" _Mincci!_ " Lucky added.

Quinn looked up at the darkening sky. "It's getting late. Maybe I should quickly set up my camp."

"Okay," Electra replied. "And the Gym will be closing soon anyway."

"Then shall we head to the Tower then?" Camille asked. "I'm sure that... your leader must be eager to see you again."

"That sounds good," Tristan replied. "Alright, let's get going."

"Wait a second, Tristan," Marianne interrupted. "Are you sure we should let Etna come with us? Gurkinn made us promise that we shouldn't reveal the Base's hidden entrance to anyone?"

"Hey, what is your deal?" Camille cried, glaring at Marianne. "I thought you guys trusted me! I won't tell a soul, I promise!"

"Etna, calm down!" Electra yelled. "What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing!" Camille countered. "Now shall we get to the Tower now?" With that, she turned and stormed towards town.

"Whoa," Rafi breathed. "She is really on edge today."

"Hmm, she's been like that ever since Geosenge Town," Quinn murmured, rubbing his chin. "Could something have happened to her while she was alone?"

"We'd better keep a close eye on her," Tristan decided. "In the meantime, Quinn, you can set up camp on Route 12 and then meet us at the Tower."

"I'll stay and help you," Rafi offered.

"Me too," Marianne added.

"I'll be glad of the help," Quinn smiled.

"Okay, let's go, Electra," Tristan said as he set off down the path. "We should catch up to Etna..."

* * *

Back at Yvestros' base, Etna was still trying to figure out a way out of the cell. For the past three hours, Yvestros and Sharphound had come in to ask her questions on Team Flare. Each time she refused, she would get hit by Dark Pulse or Shadow Fire until she reluctantly complied. So far, she had told them about some of the members of the team and their failed attempts to rebuild the world while secretly leaving out the details of the Ultimate Weapon and the attempts to use Yveltal to power it.

Now she had been left alone again and she'd decided that enough was enough. She had to get out of her cell. But how?

Looking around the prison block, her eyes soon fell upon a table sitting in the corner and the six Poké Balls that lay on top of it.

"Okay, so the Dragon Knight is definitely a Pokémon Trainer," she thought aloud. "Now how do I get them open?"

Kneeling down, she scooped up a small pile of stones and stepped up to the bars. Taking careful aim, she threw a stone at one of the Poké Balls, hoping to hit the button in the middle. The first stone missed the Ball and her next one smacked against the table. But the third stone hit the closest Ball's button and in a flash of light, a Magmortar emerged.

"Perfect!" Etna cried. "Alright, Magmortar, break these bars down with Focus Blast!"

Magmortar just turned and looked at her in confusion.

"Oh, right," she groaned. "That's not my Magmortar at all. Then... melt the bars with Flamethrower!"

Still no movement.

"Incinerate? Lava Plume? I don't know! Uh... Heat Wave?"

At the last command, Magmortar faced the bars and blew out a breath as hot as the summer sun. Etna jumped back as the bars began to warp and then congeal into a puddle of molten slag.

"Yes! I'm free." Etna ran up to the table, snatched up the other Poké Balls and recalled Magmortar. "Now to find a way out of here."

She ran out of the prison and dashed along the passage, looking for any sign of escape.

As she passed a doorway, she paused and glanced through it. Her eyes widened in shock behind her helmet as she saw a young blonde boy in blue overalls slumped against a desk, his arms chained to his chair. In the other corner, Sharphound was shaking his head and looking around the room.

"Clemont!" Etna called to the boy. "Is that you?"

Sharphound spun around and spotted her. "Huh? What's going on? Wh-" He didn't get any further before Etna kicked him in the chest, throwing him back against the wall.

Clemont jumped awake and looked up, seeing Sharphound slumping to the floor. Then he turned to look at Etna. "What's happening? Why did you attack your master?"

"It's okay, Clemont," Etna replied. "I'm not really the Dragon Knight. It's me, Etna. I just got trapped in her body by one of their monsters."

"Etna?" Clemont frowned at her. "How do I know it's really you?"

Etna thought for a moment. "Okay, two years ago, you battled me with Magneton, Luxray and Heliolisk and I won the battle with Infernape, Pyroar and Houndoom. Afterwards, the Prism Tower was hit by a power failure and you accompanied me to the Power Plant to fight Team Flare there. And that's where-"

"Okay, that's proof enough for me," Clemont cut in. "Could you get me out of here, please? The key should be over there on the hook."

Etna grabbed the keys and unlocked the chains on Clemont's wrists. "Okay, now let's get going."

"Wait," Clemont cried as he grabbed his backpack. "We still need to rescue my sister."

"Bonnie's here too?" Etna gasped as they left the passage.

They soon reached the throne room. Etna peeked out and glanced around. "Coast is clear. Now, where's Bonnie?"

"In that cage up there." Clemont pointed it out. "Bonnie! Are you still there?"

"Clemont, you're back!" Bonnie called, peeking out between the bars. "Who's this with you?"

"She's a friend. Don't worry, we're getting away from here." Clemont then turned to Etna. "Do you have any Pokémon that could help us?"

"I don't know. I'm not familiar with what Pokémon the Dragon Knight owned. But I'll do my best." Nervously she took out a camouflage-patterned Poké Ball and threw it out. "Let's go, whoever you are."

In a flash of light, a Dragonite appeared, looking around the room in confusion. " _Dragoo?_ "

Taking a breath to calm herself, Etna looked up at the Pokemon. "Okay, Dragonite, I need you to get Bonnie out of her cage without hurting her too badly. Can you do that?"

For a moment, Dragonite didn't respond and Etna was afraid that it would realize that she wasn't its owner. But then it nodded and flew up to the cage. Grabbing the bars in both hands, it pulled as hard as it could, bending them until they were wide enough for Bonnie to squeeze through. Then it gently lifted Bonnie out and floated back down to Etna and Clemont.

"You did it!" Clemont said. "Now we need to get out of here. Come on, let's head to the balcony. We can escape through there."

"Wait," Etna called as she and Dragonite ran after Clemont and Bonnie. "How did you know there's a balcony nearby?"

Clemont looked shifty for a moment. "Uh, I spotted it on the way here when I tried to escape before. This way."

He turned a corner and Etna followed him round to where there was indeed a balcony overlooking the mountains. "Whoa," she gasped, looking out at the evening sky. "Where is this place?"

"Who cares?" Bonnie cried. "I want to get out of here as quickly as I can, right, Clemont?"

"R-right," Clemont replied.

"Dragonite, think you can carry all three of us?" Etna asked the Dragon Pokémon.

" _Dragoo._ " With a nod, Dragonite flew over her head and hovered next to the balcony.

"Come on, let's go!" Etna lifted Bonnie up onto Dragonite's back then climbed on behind her while Clemont clung onto her. "Okay, Dragonite, take us to Shalour City! My friends are waiting for us there."

With a flap of its wings, Dragonite took off over the mountains, heading for the city.

But the moment they had disappeared from view, Yvestros materialised out of the shadows behind the balcony. "So they managed to escape, did they?"

"Yes, my Lord," Mothitelle replied, stepping out from behind him. "If only they knew that one of their passengers is not who they think..."

"All the same, we should probably have Exchanger on standby to assist the Dragon Knight," Yvestros decided.

"Understood, my Lord," Mothitelle agreed.

* * *

Back in Shalour City, Tristan and Electra had managed to catch up with Camille and were now approaching the Tower of Mastery, a vast structure by the edge of the sea that overlooked the city.

"So that's what the Tower looks like on the outside," Tristan said.

"Come on," Electra cried, running up to the entrance. "Let's head inside."

As Tristan was about to follow her, someone bumped into the back of him and knocked him down. "Oof!" he gasped as he hit the ground.

"Oops, sorry about that!" came a new voice that Camille recognized. "Did I hurt you?"

Tristan looked up and saw a young blonde girl in skating attire and a Riolu standing over him, looking very concerned. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Who are you?"

"Korrina, right?" Camille asked. "The Gym Leader of Shalour?"

The girl turned around and beamed. "Oh hey, Etna! Haven't seen you in a while. And you too, Electra."

"Hey, Korrina," Electra chuckled. "Nice to see you again."

"Wait, you're the Gym Leader?" Tristan asked, getting to her feet. "Then I'd like to challenge you to a Gym Battle!"

Electra sweat-dropped as Korrina giggled. "I like your spirit, but you'll have to wait 'til tomorrow. The Gym's closed for the day."

"Oh," Tristan groaned.

"Actually, we're here to have a look round the Tower," Electra said. "Do you mind if we come in?"

"Not at all." Korrina pushed open the door and led them in.

As soon as they stepped into the entrance hall, Tristan and Electra felt a surge of nostalgia as they looked up at the Lucario statue. "Man, feels like almost yesterday when we first got teleported here," Tristan sighed in a low voice.

Just then, Gurkinn stepped around the base of the statue, holding his arms up in a grand gesture. "Welcome, visitors, to the Tower of Mastery," he called out.

"Hi, Grandpa," Korrina called, running up to him.

"Hello, Korrina." Gurkinn smiled and gave her a hug.

Camille rubbed her chin in thought. "Interesting..."

* * *

"Phew, all done," Rafi sighed, wiping his brow as he admired the tents.

"Thanks for the help, everyone," Quinn beamed at his Pokémon. "Now go over to the pond and wash up."

Sceptile, Leafeon, Roselia, and Floette all set off to obey.

"Go with them, guys," Rafi told Lucky, Spiky, and Orville.

As the Pokemon ran off after Quinn's Pokémon, Marianne looked back towards the city. "Now let's go back to the others. They should be at the Tower by now."

Suddenly, they heard a loud bellowing cry from above. " _Dragooo!_ "

"What was that?" Rafi cried.

"Look, up there!" Quinn yelled.

Rafi and Marianne spun round and saw a Dragonite swooping out of the sunset, carrying three people on its back.

"Is that a Dragonite?" Marianne asked.

"Never mind that!" Quinn went on. "Look who it's carrying!"

"It's the Dragon Knight!" Rafi gasped. "We'd better get our weapons out!"

With a nod, Rafi, Marianne, and Quinn lifted their Morphers and pressed the buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The elements of Flying, Water, and Grass burst out of their respective Morphers and struck their bodies, forming their armor.

As Dragonite flew closer, the Knights raised their Blasters. "Get ready to shoot the moment they land," Marianne scowled.

"Don't shoot!" came the Dragon Knight's voice. "I'm not going to hurt you!"

"What did she say?" Quinn asked.

Marianne and Rafi swapped baffled looks...

* * *

"I must apologize for not revealing your identities to my granddaughter," Gurkinn told Tristan, Electra, and Camille once Korrina was out of earshot. "She must never know about us for our safety."

"We understand," Electra replied.

Gurkinn approached the statue's pedestal. "Um, Etna, would you mind closing your eyes until we say so? I can't let any outsider see the entrance to our base."

"Fine," Camille grunted, covering her eyes.

As soon as the secret door was open, Tristan took Camille by the arm and carefully led her down the stairs after Gurkinn and Electra. Once they were in the base, Gurkinn turned round. "Okay, Etna, you can open your eyes now."

As Camille did so, Lucario suddenly dashed towards her, putting himself between her and the Knights. " _Lucario,_ " he growled angrily.

"What are you doing, Lucario?" Tristan cried in alarm.

"He only does that when someone's around to harm me," Gurkinn replied. "But why are you targeting Etna, old friend?"

" _Lucario, lucar, lucar._ "

"What?" Gurkinn asked. "But how is that possible?"

"What did he say?" Electra asked.

"You're not gonna believe this," Gurkinn replied slowly. "But Lucario says that Etna is not really Etna."

"WHAT?!" Tristan and Electra gasped.

"That's preposterous!" Camille snapped. "Of course I'm Etna. Why are you saying these things about me?"

In response, Lucario went over to the console and placed his paw on the scanner. The screen changed, showing a black-and-white image of the base and five colored blobs in different positions.

"This scanner shows the aura of everyone in this room," Gurkinn explained. "The dark blue blobs are me and Lucario. Tristan, you're the red one and Electra's the yellow one."

"Then who's the purple one?" Tristan asked.

"I've only seen that particular aura once before," Gurkinn replied. "And that was back when your Megazord got destroyed by its owner..."

Suddenly Camille pushed past Gurkinn and ran towards the exit. Tristan charged forward and pushed her down, grabbing her arms and pinning her down.

"Let go of me!" Camille snapped.

At that moment, the Knights' Morphers began beeping. "Come in, guys, can you hear me?" called Quinn's voice.

Gurkinn answered his communicator. "Yes, Quinn. What's going on?"

"You won't believe this, but we've just captured the Dragon Knight. Come over to Route 12 at once. Quinn out."

"You see?" Camille cried, pushing Tristan away though he still held her wrist firmly. "The Dragon Knight's out there now. Go deal with her now."

"Lucario, set the coordinates to Route 12," Gurkinn ordered, narrowing his eyes. "Tristan, Electra, we'd better get changed."

Tristan and Electra raised their Morphers and pressed their buttons at the same time as Gurkinn. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The Morphers spewed out the respective elements of Fire, Electric and Fighting that rose up and hit their bodies, creating their armor.

"Now let's go!" Gurkinn yelled, running to the Door of Transportation. "And take 'Etna' with you. She has some explaining to do."

* * *

Yvestros clenched his fist as he watched the latest image from one of Sabelteur's Spydoves, showing Rafi, Marianne, and Quinn training their guns on what looked like the Dragon Knight. "Those fools... they have no idea what's going on."

"It's a pity this one can't hear what they're saying," Sabelteur grumbled. "With their helmets on, I can't tell what they're saying."

 _Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Beep-beep!_

"Knight activity sighted!" Mothitelle changed the image on the Spydove, showing Gurkinn, Tristan, Electra and 'Etna' coming into view.

"This could be a problem," Yvestros realized. "Time to send in the Exchanger!"

* * *

"There you guys are," Quinn called, seeing Gurkinn approaching with Tristan and Electra both escorting Camille. "And I see you've brought Etna with you."

"Except Etna hasn't been with us at all." Gurkinn turned to look at the real Etna. "And you're not really the Dragon Knight, are you?"

"Don't be such a fool!" Camille snapped. "Of course I'm Etna! Now destroy the Dragon Knight now!"

"See, that's what made us suspicious," Quinn stated, pointing at her. "You see, the real Etna never yells at her friends no matter what they did."

"And the real Etna would know that we most definitely trust her," Marianne continued.

"And furthermore, the real Etna has not once called me by my full name," Rafi finished.

"What's more, Lucario was able to detect your aura," Gurkinn added. "All of which leads me to believe that, impossible as that may seem, you are in fact the real Dragon Knight, now occupying the body of Etna!"

Camille narrowed her eyes. "Very clever!"

Just then, Dragonite swooped down from the sky and landed next to them, dropping off two people from its back.

"Clemont! Bonnie!" Gurkinn cried. "You're safe!"

"After the Dragon Knight swapped bodies with me, she sent me back to Yvestros' lair," Etna explained as she recalled Dragonite. "Fortunately I was able to escape and free Clemont and Bonnie on the way out."

"How dare you use my own Pokémon!" Camille snapped, pointing at Etna accusingly.

Tristan aimed his Blaster at Camille. "In case you forgot, you're still in our custody. Now back off!"

Camille just glared daggers at him but was silent.

"Which leaves us with one tough question," Electra said. "How did the Dragon Knight switch bodies with Etna in the first place?"

"I believe I can answer that question!" came a new voice.

The Rangers spun round as a blue Reuniclus monster with the head of Manaphy materialised before them.

"Say hello to the Exchanger!" Camille cried. "He's the reason why we're here now."

Rafi, Marianne and Quinn turned their guns away from Etna and turned to face the Exchanger.

"Stay back, you two!" Gurkinn warned, jumping in front of Clemont and Bonnie. "We won't let that monster hurt you!"

"Oh, don't worry about us," Clemont replied with a sly smile. "It's your safety that you should worry about."

Then before anyone could react, Clemont quickly pulled Gurkinn's Blaster out its holster, pushed the Knight aside and then pointed it at Bonnie's head.

"Clemont, what are you doing?" Tristan cried. "Have you lost your mind?"

"And gained a new one," Clemont responded. "Your friend was so concerned with saving Clemont that she didn't notice anything unusual about him."

Etna suddenly remembered coming into the lab and seeing Sharphound looking dazed before she knocked him out, and she gasped in horror. "No... You're really Sharphound, aren't you?"

"Yes! You see, my Lord knew that you would try to escape and free the prisoners. So with the Exchanger's help, I switched places with him just before you came here. Now the real Clemont is still back in the lab, forced to finish his work for us." Sharphound smiled nastily as he gripped Bonnie tight. "And once we're done with him, I'll change back and we'll use his life force to create some new monsters for us!"

Tristan raised his Blaster and pointed at Sharphound. "Not while we're still standing, you won't!"

"Not so fast, Knights!" Camille snapped. "There's still one more thing that you didn't count on. Exchanger, go for it!"

"At once, my lady!" The Exchanger raised his antennae, pointing them at Tristan and Electra. "Beginning Soul Snatch!"

Two beams of red light shot out and struck Tristan and Electra, making them cry out in pain. The others watched helplessly as the lights sucked up two orbs from their heads, one red and one yellow, and pulled them along the beams like peas through a straw into the Exchanger's body. Then the lights switched off and the two affected Knights fell lifeless to the ground, freeing Camille.

"Tristan! Electra!" Rafi gasped.

"What have you done to them?" Marianne demanded.

"See for yourself." Camille laughed wickedly as the Exchanger lifted an arm, revealing the two orbs glowing brightly on the wrist. "Your friends' minds are now trapped there. Now surrender or we'll leave them separated from their bodies forever!"

"What do we do now?" Quinn cried. "Not only is Bonnie in danger but so are Tristan and Electra!"

"You've got no choice, do you?" Sharphound warned. "Lower your weapons. Now!"

"Don't do it, guys!" Bonnie called out. "Kick their butts!"

"Silence, you little whelp!" Sharphound snapped. "You will not speak out of turn!"

"Nobody tells me what to do except my big brother, which you are not!" With that, Bonnie turned her head and bit Sharphound on the hand.

"OWWW!" Sharphound gasped, releasing his grip and allowing Bonnie to slip away.

"Quickly, guys, grab him!" Gurkinn ordered.

As Marianne and Quinn dived forward to obey, Camille charged forward to tackle them. Rafi quickly fired a few shots from his Blaster at her feet. "Stay back!"

Quinn lunged at Sharphound, ready to knock him down. At the last second, Sharphound raised his hand and slapped him away. "Shadow Fire!" he yelled, opening his mouth...

But no flames came out.

"You idiot!" Camille yelled. "You can't use your attacks in that body!"

"Dammit!" Sharphound growled. "I forgot about that!"

"That's good news for us!" Marianne pounced on Sharphound and pinned him to the ground.

"Exchanger, stop them!" Camille ordered.

With a nod, the Exchanger aimed his antennae at Quinn and Marianne. "Soul Snatch!"

Just as the beams of light shot out, Gurkinn jumped into their path, taking the blow.

"Gurkinn, no!" Rafi gasped.

In that instant, time seemed to slow down. Etna looked at Gurkinn, caught in the light, then followed the bolts back up the Exchanger's antennae and down to the glowing jewel in his chest. Her mind racing, she pulled out Camille's Blaster and took careful aim. "Not this time, buddy!"

With that, she fired a shot that struck the jewel in his chest, shattering it into pieces.

"No!" the Exchanger yelled as his antennae began to flash.

Gurkinn fell to the ground, his mind free from the attack. Then Sharphound, Etna, and Camille both cried out in pain as their bodies glowed red, as did Tristan's and Electra's.

* * *

In Yvestros' lab, Sharphound sat up and looked around, realising he was back in his body again. "Hey, someone get these stupid chains off of me!"

* * *

As the red light faded, Marianne climbed off Clemont's body and watched as he began to stir.

Meanwhile, Quinn and Rafi ran over to Etna who was slowly coming round. "Etna?" Quinn asked cautiously. "is that you?"

Carefully she lifted her hands and looked at them. "YES!" she cheered, jumping to her feet. "I'm back!"

"And so am I!" Clemont cried, throwing Gurkinn's gun away.

"Clemont!" Bonnie shouted, grabbing her brother in a hug.

Rafi went over to Tristan and Electra as they sat up, rubbing their heads. "Are you guys alright?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so," Tristan sighed."Man, I'm gonna have a headache for weeks."

Electra gripped her head between her hands. "Man, I'm gonna have a headache for weeks."

"Good thinking, Etna," Gurkinn called, getting to his feet. "But how did you know that shooting the Exchanger's jewel would undo his spell?"

"I didn't, really," Etna admitted. "It was just a lucky guess."

At that moment, the Dragon Knight stood up and approached the Exchanger, who was cradling the pieces of his jewel.

"You've failed us, Exchanger!" she snapped, raising her axe. "My Lord will not be pleased."

"Mercy, my Lady," the Exchanger begged. "Just spare my life, please!"

"No second chances." With that, the Dragon Knight swung her axe around, cutting off the Exchanger's head and making him explode.

"Holy Arceus," Tristan gasped. "That's just cold."

"I would do the same to you, but I'll save your deaths for another day. Peace out, Losers of Order!" With that, the Dragon Knight disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

"Another perfect monster destroyed," Sabelteur sighed.

"But hopefully our Dragon Knight was able to get some useful information for us," Yvestros replied.

"Say, where is she anyway?" Sharphound asked.

"She said she had some things she needed to take care of," Mothitelle said.

On the balcony that overlooked the mountains, Camille took out her Safari Ball and held it out. "Dragonite, we need to talk."

In a flash of light, Dragonite appeared, hovering in front of the balcony. " _Dragoo!_ "

"Don't give me that cheerful tone!" Camille snapped. "I can't believe that you helped Etna free our hostages! Could you not tell that it wasn't me?"

Dragonite looked puzzled. " _Dragoo, dragoon._ "

"I'm not going back to what I once was! Don't you get it?" Camille sighed and looked away. "Get out of my sight."

" _Dragoo?_ " Dragonite gasped.

"You heard me! If I'm going to win this League, I need my team to be tough and strong. And you're just too sweet and naive to ever get me far. Now GO! I never want to see your face around here again!"

Flinching at her harsh tones, Dragonite let out a heavy sigh and then took off towards the mountains, never once looking back. Camille then turned and entered the lair, ready to tell Yvestros everything she'd learned...

* * *

"How are you feeling now?" Gurkinn asked as he examined Electra back at the Knights' base.

"I told you, I'm fine," Electra replied. "Now quit shining that light in my face."

Etna meanwhile bowed her head sadly. "Clemont, I'm sorry about hitting you while you were in Sharphound's body."

"You weren't to know," Clemont replied. "I was so disoriented being in a new body that I didn't have time to explain."

"I know how it feels," Etna chuckled.

"Hey, guys, come quick!" Rafi called from the console. "Clemont's video just finished uploading."

"What video?" Tristan asked as he joined the others by the screen.

"While I was a prisoner, I managed to build a hidden camera inside my backpack," Clemont explained. "With it, I was able to get a few good images of the lab, one of which I think you'll find very interesting."

After a few minutes of tweaking, Clemont brought up an image of the lab. As Etna and the others watched, they saw the Dragon Knight entering the lab, carrying some fossils in her arms. "Hey, Sabelteur, I got the fossils for you!"

"So that's where they went," Marianne whispered.

"Keep watching," Clemont hissed. "The best part's coming up now."

On the screen, the Dragon Knight lifted her Morpher and pressed a button. "Destruction's Shadow, return!"

In a flash of light, her armor disappeared and everyone could now see her true form.

"What?" Tristan gasped.

"It can't be," Marianne breathed.

"I don't believe it," Quinn choked.

But there was no mistaking that long purple hair nor the piercing green eyes.

Quinn's knees gave out and he sank to the floor. "It's Camille... She's the Dragon Knight!"

* * *

 **And thus the Dragon Knight is revealed!**

 **I don't have a lot to say, other than the arc will be ending soon.**

 **See you then.**


	19. Slaying the Dragon

**Happy 2017, everybody! Hope everyone had a good time with their respective celebrations, but now it's back to business as I wrap up the Evil Ranger Arc.**

* * *

 _Previously, on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _While the Knights were stopping off at Geosenge Town, Camille, the Dragon Knight, used a new monster called the Exchanger to swap bodies with Etna so she could learn some secrets about the others, and sent Etna to Yvestros' lair to learn about Team Flare. While Camille discovered that Korrina was Gurkinn's granddaughter, Etna managed to escape her jail, free Clemont and Bonnie and flee Yvestros' lair using Camille's Dragonite. As they met up with the Knights again, the Exchanger attacked, threatening to steal their minds, but thanks to Etna, his spell was undone and Camille was forced to execute the Poké-Mutant for his failure. Now Clemont has revealed that he managed to record the Dragon Knight's true identity, much to the other Knights' shock..._

* * *

Chapter 18: Slaying the Dragon

For a few minutes, the Knights and their allies just stared at the screen, watching the image of the Dragon Knight shifting back into Camille again and again. Even Lucario, Lucky and Sceptile couldn't believe their eyes.

Finally, Quinn got to his feet with a scowl and punched the console so hard the image was forced to switch off. "This can't be real! I won't accept it!"

"Careful, Quinn!" Clemont yelled, pushing the Grass Knight back. "Do you think that console was built in a day?"

"Don't touch me!" Quinn shouted, making the Gym Leader jump back.

Marianne turned away from the screen, tears streaming down her face. "How could she join Yvestros and his team? She's a renown hero back in Unova."

Rafi didn't say anything and just patted her on the back.

"Did anybody else know her before you met her in Cyllage City?" Gurkinn inquired.

"I saw her at the Johto League," Electra recalled. "She seemed very bitter and angry during her matches, but Santos told me that it was because she had a bad past. I didn't think she could be bad."

"She's not bad," Quinn growled. "She was with my team at Almia when we fought Team Dim Sun. She helped us weaken whatever Pokémon they threw at us so we could capture them. And not once did she ever betray us!"

"Does it matter that she wasn't evil before?" Tristan cut in. "She's fighting us now, and it's up to us to stop her."

"Tristan's right," Etna agreed. "We need to focus on the present and not the past. We need to find a way to stop Camille once and for all."

"But how?" Tristan asked. "With her enhanced powers, she's too strong for any of us to beat her."

Just then, they heard a loud drawn-out howl coming down the staircase.

"What was that?" Marianne gasped.

"I know that sound..." Gurkinn ran up the stairs and opened the hidden door, letting in a large black-and-green dog creature. He gasped in amazement. "It's you again!"

" _Hello again, Gurkinn,_ " the creature spoke in his mind. " _And to you, young Knights of Order._ "

"Zygarde!" Rafi cheered. "You're back!"

" _Mincci!_ " Lucky added.

" _Yes, Flying Knight, it is I,_ " Zygarde answered. Then he looked up at the screen and frowned at the image. " _I see that you've discovered the identity of the Knight who's turned._ "

"We believe she's being controlled by Yvestros," Gurkinn explained. "But none of us feel confident in facing her again."

"With her Pokemon attacks, she's near invincible," Tristan added. "None of us could barely scratch her."

" _No one is ever truly invincible, Fire Knight. But I will help you in any way I can._ " Zygarde closed his eyes for a moment as if trying to recall something then he looked up. " _My brother tells me that he managed to teach some of the hidden attacks of the Knights of Order._ "

"That's right," Marianne replied. "We used them to defeat Diggalith at Reflection Cave."

" _But against an opponent that uses Dragon and Ground-Type moves, you're going to need some more powerful attacks, ones that can be channelled through your weapons. And I can help you master them._ "

"Are you sure about this?" Gurkinn asked. "Those are high-level abilities you're talking about. I don't know if they're ready for that."

"Hey, we weren't expecting to become Knights of Order," Tristan reminded him. "But you had faith in us and we've never once disappointed you. If Zygarde thinks we're ready to learn more, then we'll be happy to learn."

Gurkinn beamed at Tristan's eagerness. "Okay, Zygarde, I think that would be most helpful."

" _Good. Then we shall begin,_ " Zygarde replied. " _We must hurry, though. It's only a matter of time before Yvestros plans to strike again..._ "

* * *

Over the next three days, the Knights of Order trained long and hard with Zygarde while Clemont worked hard on repairing the PokéZords. When he first saw the damage caused by Camille's Zord, Clemont felt awful, but after being reassured by Gurkinn and Bonnie, he agreed to help fix them up again. The work was hard, but Etna and Gurkinn helped out in any way they could.

But while the Knights and their allies were preparing themselves for their ultimate battle, a sinister plot was already unfolding...

* * *

At the Shalour Gym, Korrina was training up her Pokémon team for their challenge. "Alright, Machoke, let's start with Rock Tomb!"

" _Machoke!_ " The Fighting Pokemon summoned three large boulders over his head and threw them out.

"Mienfoo, go for Hi Jump Kick!"

Mienfoo jumped towards one boulder, bending its knee, and kicked it hard, splitting it clean in two.

"Now, Hawlucha, let's see your Flying Press!"

With a flap of its wings, Hawlucha took to the air, flying up to the second boulder, then it grabbed the rock with its claws and pushed it back onto the gym floor.

"Okay, Machoke, finish with Power-Up Punch!"

As the last boulder neared the ground, Machoke ran underneath it and delivered a volley of powerful punches, bashing the rock apart in minutes.

"Excellent work, guys!" Korrina cheered. "We're ready for anything."

Just then, she heard slow clapping from the arena. Korrina turned around as a young girl in a black winged dress stepped out onto the Gym floor. "Very impressive training."

"Oh, hi there," Korrina smiled, recognising the girl. "I remember you from Geosenge Town. Are you my first Trainer?"

"Yes, my name's Camille," the girl replied. "Now shall we get started?"

"Eager to win, huh?" Korrina laughed as she recalled her Pokémon. "Okay, I'll be happy to oblige. But don't think I'll hold back on you."

"I won't," Camille replied, walking to the other side of the Gym.

"Challengers, call out your first Pokemon!" the judge called.

"Mienfoo, I choose you!" Korrina yelled, calling her Pokémon out.

"Let's go, Espeon," Camille said, summoning her first Pokémon.

As Mienfoo and Espeon landed in the Gym and eyed each other, the judge raised his hands up. "Match begin!"

* * *

Meanwhile, at Santalune City, Viola had left her sister, Alexa, and made her way to the Gym to begin the day.

As she made to open the door, she heard a dark voice next to her. "Are you the Gym Leader here?"

Viola turned round and saw a young man standing by the entrance. He was dressed in a black suit and white gloves, and his face was half-obscured by a silver helmet. "Who wants to know?"

"Just a friend of someone you met," the man replied. "You see, my Lord has need of your services to us."

"Your Lord?" Viola narrowed her eyes. "The last time I heard that being mentioned was a few weeks ago when my Gym was attacked... You wouldn't be working for Mothitelle, aren't you?"

"Again with the awkward questions," the man sighed. "Forget this. KrokoViles, grab her!"

The next thing Viola knew, two horrible Krokorok-Weavile hybrids appeared and grabbed her by the arms. "What's going on? Let me go!"

With a smile, the man's body faded away, revealing a terrifying creature with the body of a Bisharp and the face of a Houndoom. "Apologies for the inconvenience, my dear, but Lord Yvestros has need of you."

With that, they all disappeared in a cloud of black smoke...

* * *

"Mienfoo, let's start with Drain Punch!" Korrina yelled.

At the command, Mienfoo ran towards Espeon, its paw starting to glow.

"Dodge it, Espeon, then use Future Sight!" Camille ordered.

Bounding out of the way, Espeon turned to face Mienfoo, its body flashing blue for a moment.

"Let's try Hi Jump Kick!"

Mienfoo jumped towards Espeon, bending its leg to hit with the knee.

"Psybeam!" Camille stated.

Espeon fired a beam of energy from the jewel on its head. The beam shot out and struck Mienfoo hard, driving it back against a boulder. Korrina gasped as she saw her first Pokémon knocked out by the rock.

"Mienfoo is unable to battle," the judge announced. "Espeon is the winner!"

"Is that really the best you've got?" Camille scoffed as Korrina recalled her Pokémon. "Give me a real challenge here!"

"Your Espeon is quite tough," Korrina agreed. "But let's see if she can handle this. Machoke, let's go!"

Machoke appeared in a burst of light, flexing his muscles to show his strength.

"Alright, Machoke, get her with Rock Tomb!"

Summoning the boulders again, Machoke hurled them out at Espeon.

"Dodge them quickly!" Camille called.

Espeon jumped to the side, avoiding two of the boulders. But the last boulder slammed into her, knocking her to the floor.

"Get up, now!" Camille shouted.

As Espeon struggled to stand, Korrina made her move. "Now, Machoke, get her with Focus Blast!"

Machoke held up his hands, forming a glowing ball between them. Once it reached full power, he hurled it at Espeon, striking her hard and knocking her out.

The judge raised his hand again. "Espeon is unable to battle. Machoke-"

But just then, a wave of energy swept down out of nowhere and crashed into Machoke, throwing him back against the Gym wall. When the wave ended, Machoke slumped to the ground knocked out as well.

"Machoke is also unable to battle," the judge corrected. "This match is a draw."

Camille smiled to herself, knowing that the battle would be as good as won...

* * *

At Cyllage City, Grant had arrived at the Gym, flexing his hands in preparation. "Time to get to work."

Jogging up to the climbing wall, he jumped and grabbed onto the handholds. Slowly, he began his long ascent up the wall. This was Grant in one of his elements. When he wasn't fighting Trainers in his Gym, he would be scaling the cliffs outside the city, building up his strength to train his Pokémon with. But today, he would discover that he wasn't the first person in the Gym.

Ten minutes later, he reached the Gym floor, puffing and panting with the effort. As he got to his feet, he spotted a young lady in a purple dress standing by the arena.

"What took you so long?" the lady asked.

"Huh?" Grant asked, looking puzzled. "How did you get here before me?"

The lady pointed a hand up to the skylight. "While you were busy scratching those hands of yours on the rocks, I just floated down through the window and landed here."

"Floated down?" Grant laughed. "Forgive me for saying this, but I don't see any way you could have flown in here without a parachute or an umbrella."

"Who needs a parachute when I've got wings?" Suddenly the lady's appearance shifted into a Gothitelle with a Venomoth head and wings. "Sleep Powder!"

With a flap of her wings, the creature sent a cloud of dust right into Grant's face. Coughing loudly, he suddenly felt very tired and collapsed on the floor.

As his vision began to fade, he saw two strange creatures appearing next to the former lady. "Take him back to the lair," he heard her command before he blacked out...

* * *

"Alright, time to end this!" Korrina yelled, calling out her final Pokemon. "Hawlucha, let's go!"

"Let's finish it, Slowking!" Camille called as she sent out her Pokemon.

The two Pokémon appeared in the arena, Hawlucha flapping his wings eagerly and Slowking assessing his opponent.

"Slowking, go for Power Gem!" Camille called.

Slowking closed his eyes and summoned a beam of light from the jewel in his crown then shot it out towards Hawlucha.

"Quick, take to the sky!" Korrina yelled.

Hawlucha flapped his wings and jumped, avoiding the attack as he soared over Slowking's head.

"You may have taken out my two top fighters," Korrina yelled. "But don't think Hawlucha's going down without a fight."

"I admire your fighting spirit," Camille commended. "Did you get that from your parents?"

"No, my parents died when I was young," Korrina replied. "My grandfather taught me all I know."

"Really?" Camille smirked. "And where is your grandfather right now?"

"He's at the Tower of Mastery. He's always there when I'm at the Gym. Hawlucha, Flying Press!"

Hawlucha swooped down towards Slowking, claws outstretched.

"Leading the Knights of Order into battle, no doubt," Camille stated.

Korrina looked puzzled. "What?"

"Slowking, Ice Beam!" Camille shouted.

Looking up at Hawlucha, Slowking fired an icy blast from his mouth. The beam hit full force, knocking Hawlucha out of the air. Korrina was so shocked that she didn't have time to issue a new command.

"Now catch him with Zen Headbutt!" Camille shouted.

Just before Hawlucha hit the ground, Slowking charged in and slammed his head into the Wrestling Pokémon's chest, throwing him out of the arena. Korrina gasped in shock as she saw her Pokemon knocked out on the floor.

"Hawlucha is unable to battle!" the judge announced. "The winner of the battle is Camille."

" _Slowking!_ " Slowking cheered, clenching his fist in pride.

"Nicely done," Camille stated, recalling her Pokémon.

Korrina walked over to Camille with a tight smile. "Well, congratulations on winning. I must say, I wasn't expecting... well, any of that. But you have earned your next badge. So here's the Rumble Badge."

"Thanks," Camille replied, taking the badge. "But I'm not just here for the badge. I've come for a much bigger prize. KrokoViles, to me!"

At her command, two vicious creatures, half Krokorok and half Weavile, appeared at her side. Korrina gasped in horror. "What's going on? What are those things?"

"They are the servants of Lord Yvestros, the rightful ruler of Kalos," Camille replied, lifting her Morpher. "And they are under my orders. Destruction's Shadow, activate!"

In a burst of light, a cloud of purple energy shot out of the Morpher, forming into a dragon that breathed shadowy fire on Camille, creating her armor. Seeing the sudden change, the judge fainted.

"You're the Dragon Knight that's been attacking the Knights of Order!" Korrina gasped.

"Yes, I am," Camille agreed. "And now with your help, we shall finally be rid of them once and for all. Grab her!"

Her last words were directed at the KrokoViles, who each caught hold of Korrina's arms. Before she could cry out, a cloud of smoke surrounded Korrina, Camille and the KrokoViles, transporting them out of the Gym...

* * *

"Stage One complete, my Lord," Sharphound announced as he and Mothitelle entered the throne room. "The Gym Leaders have been captured as you requested."

"Excellent work," Yvestros chuckled.

"So shall we begin extracting their life force?" Mothitelle asked in ecstasy.

"Not yet," Camille snapped, coming into the room. "Those Gym Leaders will be the perfect means to get rid of the Knights of Order once and for all."

"We can still take some of their life force to create our armies," Yvestros agreed. "Once the Knights have been destroyed, we're going to need them..."

* * *

" _Okay, Knights of Order, let's see your moves!_ " Zygarde called as they stood on Route 12.

Tristan stepped forward and raised his sword. "Solar Beam!"

A beam of light shone down onto the sword, filling it with energy. Then he held it out and fired a blast of energy out, slicing a boulder in half.

Rafi then lifted his Feather Bow over his head. "Twister!"

His body began to spin around as the Bow summoned a vortex around him, making him pirouette through some bushes and sucking their leaves away.

"Ice Beam!" Marianne raised her Water Blaster and fired a chilly blast. The beam streaked past Rafi and hit another rock, encasing it in ice.

Quinn then ran past her, holding his Leaf Dirks out. "Dual Chop!" His weapons began to glow purple and he jumped into the air, slicing off a branch from a tree.

"Dragon Pulse!" Electra lifted her Thunder Hammer and smashed it on the ground, sending a purple shockwave towards the frozen boulder and smashing it to pieces.

" _Excellent work, Knights!_ " Zygarde cheered. " _You've mastered the Order Assaults. With those attacks, you can channel your main elements as well as those attacks. Now you're ready to face Camille._ "

Tristan removed his helmet and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Thanks for all your help, Zygarde."

"Hang on," Marianne cut in. "If there are two Zygarde Cores, how can we tell you apart?"

"Do you mind if we named you?" Rafi asked Zygarde.

" _If you think it will help, I won't say no._ "

"What do you think, guys?" Tristan asked.

"Well, we saw this Zygarde Core first when he helped Gurkinn," Electra recalled. "And the other Core came second to teach us our moves."

Rafi thought for a moment. "How about we call this one Alpha, since he was the first, and the other one we'll call Omega?"

"Nah, Omega doesn't sound good," Marianne replied.

"What about Zeta then?" Quinn asked. "Then it can be like A to Z, Alpha and Zeta."

"Good idea," Tristan agreed, turning back to Zygarde. "How about that? You're Alpha and your brother will be Zeta."

Zygarde nodded slowly. " _I happily accept this title you have given me._ "

Just then the Knights' Morphers started beeping. "Gurkinn to Knights, come in!"

Tristan answered his communicator. "Hey, Gurkinn, what's going on?"

"I've just received a message from Camille," Gurkinn called. "She wants to address us all."

"What?" Tristan cried. "How did she hack into our frequencies?"

"Sabelteur must have gained access when he tampered with the Morpher they stole," Gurkinn assumed. "I'm sending the Transportation Door to you now. Gurkinn out."

The Knights turned as the Door appeared on the tree. "Let's see what Camille has to say to us," Tristan said grimly as he led the way.

* * *

As Alpha and the Knights reappeared at the' Base, they found Gurkinn, Lucario, Etna and Clemont waiting for them by the console.

"Good timing," Gurkinn said. "Her second message has just come through."

"Put it on the screen," Tristan replied.

Gurkinn pressed a button and the screen soon showed the image of Camille, fully clad in her Dragon Knight armor. "Greetings, Knights of Order."

"No need to dress up for us," Gurkinn called. "We know who you are, Camille!"

"Very well." Camille carefully removed her helmet, finally revealing her face to them all. "So Clemont has told you about me? I suppose in a way that it's fitting for you to bear witness to my true self before I destroy you all!"

"Why are you doing this, Camille?" Marianne called. "I've known you since Unova. This isn't who you are!"

"No! This is who I was _before_ you met me," Camille retorted. "Did you not know that I used to be a member of Team Rocket?"

"WHAT?!" Quinn and Electra gasped.

"Enough!" Gurkinn yelled. "You're obviously not here to tell stories. What is it you want?"

"It's what _you_ guys want that we need to discuss." Camille stepped to one side, revealing a cell where three people sat, arousing from their sleep. As they got up, everyone gasped, recognising them instantly.

"Viola!" Rafi cried.

"Grant!" Tristan breathed.

"Korrina?" Gurkinn gasped.

"Grandpa, is that you?" Korrina cried, running up to the bars. "What's going on here?"

"I told you he was leading the Knights of Order," Camille laughed. "And he never even told you? Naughty, naughty old Gurkinn."

"You monster!" Gurkinn growled. "What could you possibly want from her?"

"Lord Yvestros needs their life force to fuel his armies of destruction. But I'm willing to offer you a chance to surrender. If you wish to free the Gym Leaders, then Gurkinn should meet me at noon tomorrow on Route 14 to hand over the medallions of the Knights of Order." Camille leaned closer to the screen. "But I warn you: try anything heroic or stupid, and the Gym Leaders will die! See you tomorrow." With that, the screen went black.

* * *

As Camille finished her transmission, she turned and saw Sabelteur enter the jail. "Did you hear everything I said?"

"I did," Sabelteur chuckled. "Are you really gonna let the Gym Leaders go?"

"Of course not," Camille scoffed. "Once the Knights are powerless, they will also perish at the hands of our new monster. Is it ready by the way?"

"He is," Sabelteur replied. "Come and meet your new mistress, Tyraggron!"

The Gym Leaders gasped as a terrifying monster stomped into the jail. It had the body of a Tyrantrum and the sturdy arms and tail of an Aggron. Instead of its spiky crown, it wore a metal helmet with two sharp horns. Pieces of white armor were wrapped around its arms, legs, and tail.

"Excellent work," Camille laughed. "With this monster and my fully repaired PokéZord, those Knights of Order are as good as dead!"

* * *

Electra bowed her head, feeling tears in her eyes. "She was with Team Rocket? It can't be true, can it?"

"It sounds impossible to believe," Marianne agreed. "But we never met Camille until after Team Rocket disbanded."

"We need to focus on the task at hand," Gurkinn snapped. "Camille has my granddaughter and the other Gym Leaders. We have to find a way to free them and if possible, destroy Camille!"

Suddenly Lucario looked up to the ceiling. " _Lucar, lucario!_ "

"What's up, old friend?" Gurkinn asked.

" _He's sensed the presence of my brother,_ " Alpha replied. " _And he has brought the one who can help us. Let them in, quick!_ "

Gurkinn rushed up the stairs to the entrance. When he came back, he was accompanied by Zeta and...

"Santos?!" Etna gasped.

"So you guys are the Knights of Order?" Santos asked, looking at the unmasked Knights. "I must say, that's a side I definitely didn't know about you when we first met."

"Why are you here?" Tristan asked.

" _I found Santos after your battle in Glittering Cave,_ " Zeta explained. " _He has known Camille for a very long time, longer than any of you. I've been gaining some information from him and he's agreed to help us in our fight against Camille._ "

"Zygarde told me that you're probably planning to destroy her," Santos added. "But I beg you not to. Camille is not a bad person."

"But she just told us that she used to work for Team Rocket!" Tristan yelled. "Is that true?"

Santos sighed and nodded. "Yes, it's true. But she didn't have a choice to join them. She was captured by Team Rocket when she was just a child and trained as one of their top Grunts, pretending to be a Trainer to avoid suspicion. In my Pokémon journey, I have seen her again and again, at Celadon City and Saffron City, and each time I've battled her. It was only in Johto that I saw her true side. At the Goldenrod Radio Tower, she must have lost faith in her Executives because I saw her fleeing. I didn't see her again until I travelled to the Whirl Islands, preparing my team for the Johto League..."

* * *

" _There it is, Pikachu," Santos said as he and his partner rode on the back of his Shiny Gyarados. "As soon as we land, we have a lot of training to do."_

"Pika, pika! _" Pikachu agreed._

 _Soon Gyarados reached the shore, but as Santos disembarked, he suddenly saw a Feraligatr approaching the island at top speed. "What is that?"_

 _Moments later, as the Feraligatr landed on the shore, he saw its rider. "You again!"_

" _What are you doing here?" Camille snapped, jumping off her Pokémon._

" _I could ask you the same question!" Santos countered._

" _I'm looking for the Legendary Pokémon of these islands." Camille held up a shining silver feather. "It's been said that this Silver Wing is the key to finding it."_

" _But why do you need that Pokémon? Team Rocket is no more; you don't need to capture it."_

" _I'm not catching it for Team Rocket," Camille snapped. "I'm doing this for me."_

" _Well, I won't let you have it!" Santos yelled. "Hand over that Wing!"_

" _No! Come and take it!"_

" _Gyarados, Dragon Rage!" Santos yelled._

 _Gyarados fired a wave of energy from his mouth that struck Feraligatr and sent him flying._

" _Feraligatr, fight back with Ice Fang!"_

 _Feraligatr leapt out of the water, his mouth glowing icy blue, and bit Gyarados hard on the tail. Gyarados pulled away as a layer of ice formed from the tail up to his neck._

" _Pikachu_ _, hit him with Thunderbolt!"_

 _Pikachu bounded forward, electricity building in his cheeks, and he launched a bolt straight at Feraligatr, knocking him out in one hit._

" _No!" Camille snapped, taking out another Poke Ball. "I won't let you have it!"_

 _But before she could throw it, the Silver Wing suddenly started to glow. Santos and Pikachu gasped in amazement as the same glow appeared in the middle of the sea._

 _Then a massive white Pokémon burst out of the waves, sending up a spray of water over the fighting Trainers. Blinking the salty water out, Santos and Camille found themselves looking up at the Pokémon that hovered over them._

" _Lugia," Camille breathed, taking out an Ultra Ball. "You've shown your face. Now prepare to be captured!"_

 _Slowly, she stepped closer, keeping her eyes on the target. With a snort, Lugia flapped his wings, blowing her back with a gust of wind._

"I know who you are, _" came a voice in their heads. "_ Do you really think capturing me would prove that you are the ultimate trainer? _"_

" _Who said that?" Camille cried, looking around._

" _I think it was Lugia," Santos gasped. "He's using telepathy!"_

"The boy is correct. I am the one who is speaking. _" Lugia landed on top of the island and looked down at Camille. "_ Now tell me, why are you attempting to capture me? _"_

" _Because I need a strong team to take on Claire," Camille replied. "She uses Dragon-Types in her Gym and I want to get into the Pokémon League."_

"And what is wrong with the Pokemon you already have? _" Lugia asked. "_ I can hear their voices through their Poké Balls, and they all feel like they are strong enough already. Would you like to hear them? _"_

 _Before Camille could protest, Lugia closed his eyes and suddenly Santos could hear six voices ringing out around him. As he looked, he saw Pokémon shapes forming before Camille._

 _The first shape was a Typhlosion who said in a gruff voice, "_ I am strong enough to take on the Gym. Didn't my victory against that Piloswine prove it to you? _"_

 _Next was a more soft-spoken Meganium. "_ Ever since I lost to Falkner and Bugsy, all I ever wanted was to be strong for you. Please let me help you. _"_

 _Then came the gravelly tones of her Feraligatr. "_ My Ice attacks are effective against Dragon-Types. I'm more than capable of battling Claire's Pokémon. _"_

 _The other two shapes, Houndoom and Murkrow, also gave their recommendations, but there was one small voice in the back that finally spoke out over both of them. "_ I have a few words to say myself. _"_

 _As the other shapes faded, Santos's eyes widened as he saw a Dratini sitting before Camille. "_ I may have known Camille long, but there is one thing that's true. She has been my closest friend ever since she was little. I met her in the Safari Zone when she wandered off from her parents, and when those bad men came, she captured me to protect me from them. When she started her journey, she sent me to Professor Oak's to keep me safe from them. No matter what she did when she worked with Team Rocket, she will always be my one true friend. She never used me a lot, but I am and forever will be her first Pokémon. _"_

 _Throughout that speech, Camille was silent, her eyes filling with tears. Now she fell to her knees and took out a Safari Ball. "Dratini... come on out."_

 _In a flash of light, Dratini appeared, shaking its head._

" _Everything I heard you say, is that true?" Camille asked in a choked-up voice._

 _Dratini stared at her for a moment then, at last, it nodded._

" _Oh, Dratini! I'm so sorry! I've put you through so much, and I never used you at all." Camille threw her arms around Dratini and finally let her emotions out. "You are my first Pokémon, and I am your Trainer. I'll never let anyone use me like that again!"_

 _Santos was flabbergasted by the whole scene. Then he turned to Lugia. "Will she be okay?"_

"I think she will, _" Lugia replied. "_ Now that she has seen the error of her ways, her life will be so much better. Take care of her, and make sure she keeps her promise. _" With that, he took off from the island and plunged back into the sea._

 _Santos glanced back at Camille still hugging her Dratini then turned back to the sea as the silver glow faded away. "Thank you..."_

* * *

"Since that day, Camille completely changed her ways," Santos finished. "I stayed by her side all through Hoenn and Sinnoh, helping her become the Trainer I knew she could be. But because we've battled so many bad guys on our journeys, Camille wanted to take a break from it. So I let her go and relax at the Orange Islands while I went to Unova, and that was the last time I saw her."

"Until Glittering Cave," Tristan recalled. "You were there when we crashed the cart down there. And you knew that the Dragon Knight was Camille?"

"Her voice was exactly the same as when I first met her," Santos confirmed. "That was when this Zygarde approached me. But I see you have another Zygarde too."

" _You may call me Alpha,_ " said the first Zygarde. " _My brother, Zeta, is the reason you're here._ "

" _Zeta?_ " asked the second Core.

" _I'll explain later,_ " Alpha replied.

"Anyway, I don't know what Camille has done to you in her time as the Dragon Knight, but it's obvious that she's not doing this of her own volition." Santos turned to Gurkinn, his hands held out in penitence. "Please, you have the technology that she has. Surely there must be some other way?"

Gurkinn rubbed his chin in thought. "So if what you said is true and Camille wasn't evil before she came to Kalos, then obviously she's being controlled by something."

"Or someone!" Clemont cried out. "When I was at Yvestros' lab, I was able to see his monster maker, Sabelteur, tampering with one of my Morphers. I'm guessing he modified it to release some mind-control signal into Camille's thoughts so that she could obey Yvestros without question."

"Mind-control?" Etna scoffed. "That sounds unbelievable."

"It happened before," Electra recalled. "Guys, you remember Kingpin? He used a similar spell on the servants at the Parfum Palace."

"So Yvestros created a similar system and installed it in the Morpher," Gurkinn guessed.

"That's it then!" Santos cried. "If you can get the Morpher off her and destroy it, then Yvestros' spell will be broken and she'll be free again!"

"But you heard what Camille said," Rafi pointed out. "If we tried to stop her, she'll kill the Gym Leaders."

Gurkinn then smiled and turned to the others. "Not if we act quickly. I think I know what we can do..."

* * *

The next day, Camille stood in the middle of the swamp, looking up at the sky. The sun was slowly approaching the midday point, marking the time for her plan to work. She turned around, seeing Viola, Grant and Korrina tied up and guarded by Sharphound and Tyraggron.

"Where is the leader?" Sharphound asked impatiently. "He should be here by now."

"Maybe he's back at his lair, cowering like a frightened Rattata," Tyraggron laughed.

"My grandfather is not a coward!" Korrina snapped. "You take that back!"

"Silence!" Tyraggron snapped, baring his teeth. "Unless you want to become my next meal."

"That's enough," Camille shouted. "If you eat her, we can't use her life force. Besides, he'll be here."

"Camille!" came a loud voice from outside the swamp. "Show yourself!"

"Grandpa!" Korrina shouted. "I'm here!"

"Quiet!" Sharphound growled, slapping her on the cheek.

"You two, stay here," Camille ordered. "I'll see to the old man." With that, she marched out of the swamp.

On the outskirts of Route 14, she spotted Gurkinn waiting for her, a small box in his hand.

"Have you got the medallions?" Camille asked.

"Almost. Order's Light, return!" Gurkinn returned to his proper appearance then he removed his Morpher and dropped it into the box. Camille heard a clattering sound in the box. "I heard Korrina just now, so you've kept your word."

"Of course," Camille replied. "Now hand them over."

Gurkinn nodded and stepped closer to Camille...

* * *

Sharphound grinned as he turned to the Gym Leaders. "Looks like it's your lucky day. You get to live for another five minutes."

Just then, Tyraggron heard a rustling noise from the bushes. "Someone's here!"

Sharphound whirled round and glared at the bushes. "Who's there?" he barked. "Show yourself!"

Seconds later, a Fletchinder popped out and fluttered away towards the treetops.

"Huh, it was just a Pokemon," Sharphound grunted. "Nothing to worry about."

But high above the trees, two Charizard spotted the Fletchinder flying up. On their backs were Etna and Santos.

"Look, that's Tristan's Fletchinder!" Etna cried. "They're in position now. Let's move in."

"Okay, Charizard," Santos hissed. "Let's hit them with our Smokescreen!"

As the Charizard swooped lower, they opened their mouths and belched out a cloud of smoke around the Gym Leaders before flying away again. Sharphound looked around in confusion. "Hey, what's going on here?"

"Water Pulse!"

Suddenly a blue orb shot out of the bushes and struck Sharphound, throwing him back against the trees. Tyraggron let out an angry roar and charged towards the bushes.

"Sky Uppercut!" Tristan leapt out of the bushes, punching Tyraggron in the chin.

While the Poké-Mutant was distracted, Rafi, Quinn, and Electra ran out of the smoke towards the Gym Leaders. Quinn cut the ropes with his daggers, setting them free.

"Good to see you guys again," Viola smiled.

"So you're the Knights of Order, huh?" Grant asked. "Nice to see you."

"Thank you for saving me," Korrina sobbed. "But how do we get out of here?"

"Leave that to us," Electra replied, switching on her communicator. "Clemont, activate emergency recall protocols!"

In an instant, the Transportation Door appeared before them. "Get going, quick!" Rafi called.

Viola and Grant ran through instantly but Korrina paused. "Where does this take us?"

"Back to the Tower," Quinn replied. "We'll explain later. Just go!"

Korrina nodded then ran into the Door, moments before it closed.

* * *

Hearing the sounds of combat, Camille whirled around. "What's that sound?"

"That would be my friends freeing the Gym Leaders," Gurkinn replied, pulling out his Morpher and knocking the box out of her hands.

Camille stared in shock as the contents spilled out, revealing a pile of rocks. "You tricked me!"

"And that's not the half of it!" Gurkinn pressed his Morpher's button. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

In a flash of light, a glowing blue fist burst out of the Morpher and struck Gurkinn, forming his armor.

"Come then," Camille snapped, summoning her axe. "Let's end this now!"

As she swung her axe round, Gurkinn jumped out of the way then summoned his Claw Blades. Avoiding the next swing, he jumped up and swiped his blades across her back. Crying out in pain, Camille turned and swung her axe again. This time, Gurkinn jumped up and landed on the axe handle, pinning it to the ground. Then he delivered a bicycle kick on Camille, knocking her away from the axe.

Grabbing the axe in both hands, Gurkinn turned to Camille. "You've been harming my friends for too long, but now we hold the cards!" With that, he swung the axe down on a rock, smashing the head into pieces.

Camille narrowed her eyes behind her helmet. "Don't think this is over!" With that, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

As Tristan dealt another punch to Tyraggron, he heard his communicator beeping. "My friends, Camille has retreated, no doubt to summon her PokéZord. Finish this battle quickly!"

"Got it," Tristan replied. "Okay, guys, let's form the Justice Blaster!"

"Water Cannon!" Marianne held her weapon out.

"Feather Bow!" Rafi stuck his weapon underneath the Blaster.

"Leaf Dirks!" Quinn stuck his daggers on either side of the barrel.

"Thunder Hammer!" Electra stuck her weapon at the back.

"Fire Sword!" Tristan put his sword on top of the Blaster. The tip of the sword opened up, as did Electra's hammer and Quinn's daggers, forming extra barrels.

"Justice Blaster, active!" Tristan cried, holding up the weapon as the other Knights ran behind him.

Tyraggron gave an angry bellow and ran towards them, teeth bared.

"Fire!" Tristan yelled, pulling the trigger.

The energy blast shot out and struck Tyraggron right in the chest. The Poké-Mutant gave a final roar of pain as he fell back and exploded.

Sharphound jumped up in anger. "This isn't over, Knights of Order! We can still finish you off!" With that, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Seconds later, Mothitelle appeared over Tyraggron's remains. "Camille is on her way to destroy you, but let's give her a little help. Power Spore!"

Flapping her wings hard, she sent a cloud of glowing dust over Tyraggron. With a loud bellow, the Poké-Mutant rose up as he grew taller and taller, towering over the trees.

"We haven't seen that in a while!" Rafi cried.

Just then, they heard another loud roar and the Garchomp PokéZord swooped out of the sky, landing next to Tyraggron. "Now it's time to end this, Knights of Order! Prepare to get crushed!"

"Sorry, but I've got a better idea!" Tristan pressed another button on his Morpher. "Release the PokéZords!"

Moments later, the Transportation Door appeared and out stomped the PokéZords, fully repaired and ready for battle once again.

"What? You've fixed them!" Camille gasped. "No matter! We can still crush them again!"

* * *

In the sky above, Santos watched the scene in amazement. "These guys really know how to fight back."

"It's up to them now," Etna replied. "Let's get out of here." With that, the two Charizard turned and flew back to Shalour City.

* * *

The Zords each shot out a beam of light, teleporting their respective Knights into their cockpits.

"It's good to be back in here again," Tristan sighed.

"Guy, come in," Clemont called over the communicator. "I've boosted the power of each of your Zords. It should be enough to take on both Tyraggron and the Garchomp Zord. Plus, I've added a Protect option to the MegaZord to prevent it taking serious damage."

"Thanks, Clemont," Tristan replied. "Okay, guys, you keep Tyraggron busy. I'll handle Camille."

"You've got it!" Marianne called. "Hydro Pump!"

The Blastoise Zord fired a jet of water at Tyraggron, driving him back.

Tristan turned his attention to the Garchomp Zord. "Let's do this! Blaze Kick!"

The Blaziken Zord raised its leg and kicked the Garchomp Zord hard, searing its metal skin.

"Try this out for size," Camille retorted. "Dragon Breath!"

A beam of purple energy shot out of the Garchomp Zord's mouth.

"Flamethrower!" Tristan yelled.

The Blaziken Zord launched a stream of fire from its mouth. The two attacks collided in midair, causing a huge explosion that burned the tops off several trees. It also threw the two Zords back. The Blaziken Zord landed on its feet, but the Garchomp Zord crashed to the swampy ground.

"Get up, you stupid thing!" Camille yelled.

"Guys, how are you holding up?" Tristan called.

"Tyraggron is starting to weaken," Quinn replied. "I think we're ready to finish him off."

"Alright!" Tristan yelled, slamming the red button. "Megazord of Justice transformation, activate!"

Each PokéZord flashed white as the command was issued. First, the Blaziken Zord jumped into the air, its arms folding back into its body. At the same time, the Blastoise Zord withdrew its head and limbs into its shell, which opened up on the front and fused over the Blaziken Zord's body, creating the main torso.

Next, the Sceptile and Ampharos Zords lay down on their stomachs and folded in their limbs and tails as they straightened up, the heads resting on their chests. The bottom half joined onto the main torso, forming the legs.

Then, the Pidgeot Zord took to the air, its head and tail folding into its body which then split in half. Each half then joined to either side of the torso upside down, so that the legs formed the arms, while the wings folded over the front of the torso. The completed MegaZord landed on the ground, the Blaziken's beak opening up to reveal a more humanoid face.

"Megazord of Justice, ready!" the Rangers yelled in the main cockpit as the robot raised its arms.

"Let's deal with Tyraggron first," Tristan decided. "Mega Sword, ready!"

The Megazord held out its hands as the sword appeared in a flash of light.

"Time you returned to extinction!" Tristan yelled, throwing his joystick forward. "Order Slash!"

As the sword began to glow, the Megazord charged in and swung it round, cutting through Tyraggron. The Poke-Mutant gave an agonized bellow and fell to the ground again, exploding for good.

"One down, and just Camille to go," Tristan announced.

By then, the Garchomp Zord was back on its feet. "You've made the same blunder again. Your Megazord's energy has been drained and now you're at my mercy. Draco Meteor!"

The Garchomp Zord's body began to glow red and it fired a ball of light into the air. At its zenith, it burst apart and began to rain down towards the Megazord.

"Protect!" Tristan yelled, slamming a new button on the console.

Instantly, a glowing shield appeared around the Megazord, blocking the meteors from dealing serious damage.

"What?" Camille gasped.

"We've learned our lesson from last time," Tristan replied. "It's you who's at our mercy now! Order Slash!"

Once again, the Megazord charged forward and swung its sword round, dealing a huge amount of damage on the Garchomp Zord and throwing it against a mountain.

"Ready to surrender, Camille?" Tristan yelled.

"Never!" Camille shouted. "I'll still beat you all!"

"Quickly, my friends," Gurkinn called over the communicator. "Camille has ejected herself from the Garchomp Zord! If you want to stop her, you'll have to move fast!"

"Let's go, guys!" Tristan called, pressing another button that teleported them out of the Megazord.

* * *

They reappeared in the middle of the swamp, surrounding Camille. "Nowhere to run now!" Quinn shouted.

"I may not be able to run, but I can still fight you!" Camille snapped. "Dragon Pulse!"

She clapped her hands together, sending a powerful shockwave towards them.

"Not this time!" Electra yelled. "Dragon Pulse!"

She slammed her Hammer on the ground, sending her own shockwave out. The two attacks collided and canceled each other out.

"You know Pokémon attacks too?" Camille bellowed. "Well then, taste my Dragon Claw!"

Her bladed gloves began to glow and she surged towards them.

"Dual Chop!" Quinn's Dirks flashed purple and he charged in, blocking her attack.

"Twister!" Rafi raised his Bow up and began to spin on the spot. Quinn jumped aside just before the tornado struck Camille hard, throwing her to the ground.

"Ice Beam!" Marianne raised her Blaster and fired a beam of ice at Camille, encasing her body in ice.

"Solar Beam!" Tristan lifted his sword up, allowing it to absorb the sun's energy. Once it was ready, he pointed out and fired a beam of light at Camille, pushing her out of the ice and throwing her against a tree. As she fell back to the ground, her armor flashed white and disappeared.

Gurkinn ran up just then and grabbed Camille's arm, pulling off the Morpher. "Yvestros, your spell is broken and Camille can finally be free!" With that, he threw the Morpher into the air then he lifted his Elemental Blaster and fired a single shot, blowing it apart.

Suddenly Camille let out a cry of pain. The Knights stared in amazement as her body began to glow purple. Then the light formed into a huge purple dragon shape that flew up into the air, its jaws open in a silent scream, and then it exploded in a flash of bright light. At the same time, Camille collapsed to the ground.

Marianne looked at her friend in concern. "Is she...?"

Gurkinn quickly felt for a pulse. "She's still alive, thank Arceus."

"That's a relief," Tristan sighed.

Rafi then spotted something lying in the mud and pulled it out. "Look, this must be her medallion," he cried, holding it up.

"I'll take it," Gurkinn said. "Now let's get her back to base."

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Yvestros bellowed, slamming his hands against the throne. "Our greatest warrior, defeated! It's all over!"

"Not to worry, My Lord," Mothitelle replied. "We can still reclaim the Garchomp Zord. Who knows, we might still salvage something from this disaster."

Sharphound and Sabelteur just decided to stay out of it.

* * *

The first thing Camille felt as she woke up was a splitting headache. Slowly she opened her eyes, finding herself on a bed in an underground cavern. "W-Where am I?"

"Hey, guys, she's awake!" came a voice she hadn't heard in a long time.

As her eyes adjusted, she saw a young man in explorer's gear standing next to her. "Santos? Is that you?"

"It's me, Camille," Santos replied, tears in his eyes. "Do you remember anything?"

"I don't know..." Camille then turned and saw six other people coming towards her. "I remember those guys. Tristan, Rafi, Marianne, Quinn, Electra, and Etna. And then..." Suddenly it all came back to her. "Oh Arceus, I remember everything!"

"It's okay, Camille," Santos reassured her. "You're safe now. We're in the Knights' Base. You were under Yvestros' control, but they freed you."

Camille sat up and covered her face with her hands, letting out all the emotions that had been bottled up for the past two weeks. "What have I done? Oh, Santos, I couldn't control myself! It all just happened out of my power! I'm so so sorry!"

"I know, I know, it wasn't your fault. I should have stayed at Unova and waited for you, but I didn't think." Santos put his arm around Camille's shoulder and let her cry into his chest. "It's gonna be okay from now on."

Tristan and the others watched the scene with mixed emotions.

"What will happen to her now?" Marianne asked.

"That will be up to her," Gurkinn replied. "But for now, Yvestros will have to find a new warrior to fight us. Now if you'll excuse me..."

He turned and left the Tower where he found Alpha and Zeta waiting for him.

"Thank you, my friends," Gurkinn beamed. "We wouldn't have done this without you."

" _Your new Knights of Order are a good team,_ " Alpha said. " _Keep an eye on them. Yvestros will not rest easy until they are no more._ "

"I'll do my best," Gurkinn promised. "Farewell to you both."

" _Until we see each other again,_ " Zeta replied.

The two Zygarde Cores turned and ran down the road, disappearing into the sunset.

As Gurkinn watched them go, Korrina came up next to him. "So Grandpa, care to explain something to me?"

With a sigh, Gurkinn turned to her. "Oh Korrina, I'm sorry for not telling you about the Knights of Order. I thought that I could keep you safe, but today has proved me very wrong. Can you ever forgive me?"

Korrina thought for a moment. "If I had died today, I probably wouldn't have. But your friends managed to save me and the others. Thank you for that."

"From now on, no more secrets," Gurkinn replied. "Let's go upstairs and I'll tell you everything."

As they made their way up the stairs, neither of them noticed Etna watching them from the statue's hidden passage and smiling...

* * *

 **And I'm finally done. Massive apologies for the delay, but this chapter has been such a difficult one to write. Over 8000 words!**

 **Anyway, the Evil Knight arc is over and Camille is finally free. But there's quite a history between her and Santos, but that's another story.**

 **See you next time**


	20. The Sting of Dramaldo

_Previously on_ _Poké_ _Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _Upon discovering Camille's identity, the Knights of Order became determined to stop her at any cost. Under Zygarde Alpha's help, they learned new attacks that were effective against Dragon-Types. But while they were training, Yvestros kidnapped Gym Leaders Viola, Grant and Korrina, holding them to ransom for the Knights' medallions. With some coaxing and assistance from Santos and Etna, the Knights were able to trick Camille, free the Gym Leaders, destroy her monster, Tyraggron and then faced Camille in a final standoff, allowing them to remove her Morpher and liberate her at last..._

* * *

Chapter 19: The Sting of Dramaldo

"Orville, Wing Attack!" Rafi yelled.

With a loud cry, Orville swooped out of the sky, flying towards Combusken.

"Dodge it, then use Flame Charge!" Tristan called.

Combusken jumped into the air, avoiding Orville's attack, and landed behind him, his body bursting into flames. Instantly he surged forward, crashing into Orville and throwing him back.

On the edge of the battleground, Etna, Marianne, Quinn and Electra watched the fight with interest. Lucky sat at their feet with Pikachu, Leafeon and Rafi's new Archen while Delphox and Sceptile stood behind their respective trainers.

"They're really training hard," Quinn noted.

"They have to," Electra replied. "Korrina uses Fighting-Type Pokémon in her Gym. And what with Camille attacking us these past few days, Tristan and Rafi have some serious catching up to do."

"How is Camille, by the way?" Marianne asked. "It's been two days since we freed her."

Santos came in at that moment, followed by his Raichu. "She's feeling a lot better now," he replied, having heard Marianne's question. "Her rest at the Tower seemed to have helped, but she's still distressed that she'd let her Dragonite go."

"It must have been horrible to know that," Marianne sighed. "Dragonite was her first Pokémon after all."

"If I know Dragonite, she's probably still out there," Santos replied, looking up at the sky. "I hope she comes back soon."

"Well, in the meantime, are you also taking part in the Kalos League?" Electra asked.

"Yup, I beat Ramos before I came back to Glittering Cave," Santos replied.

"What were you really doing there anyway?" Etna inquired. "When we first met, Tristan and I saw you with one of Team Flare's scientists."

"It's not really any of your business," Santos answered vaguely.

"I've dealt with Team Flare two years ago," Etna countered. "My aunt Malva was mixed up in their affairs, working with Lysandre while trying to keep me safe from them. I think I deserve to know what you were up to."

Santos let out a heavy sigh. "Alright, I guess I'll tell you. When I first came to Kalos, I was contacted by the Looker Bureau, the detective agency set up after Team Flare's downfall. Looker told me that he'd heard rumors that Team Flare members have been sighted around the region. He'd heard about my heroic deeds of my travels and wanted to hire me to hunt them down. In my last mission, at the Cave, I learned that Xerosic had hidden cases containing plans for their next move."

"What sort of plans?" Quinn asked.

"I don't know. Before I could open the case, that's when you guys came barreling in. What I do know is that Team Flare seems to have eyes on Yvestros, possibly to use his powers to continue their original plan."

Etna's eyes widened in shock. "You don't think Yvestros has the same type of power as the Ultimate Weapon?"

"It's a possibility," Marianne admitted. "You heard what they did to Santalune Forest."

"And if Yvestros could wield that kind of power, who knows what Team Flare could do with him," Santos breathed.

* * *

Yvestros paced angrily across the throne room, his gnarled fists clenched tight and his eyes narrowed. Sharphound, Sabelteur and Mothitelle watched him, their heads tracking his movements like they were the audience of a tennis match.

"My Lord, you've been walking around for hours now," Mothitelle spoke up. "Is there anything we can do to offer our assistance?"

"We could just go after the Knights of Order with our KrokoViles again," Sharphound suggested.

"No!" Yvestros snapped. "It's clear to me that those Poké-Mutants are no match for the Knights. And the worst part is, we no longer have our most valuable warrior anymore!"

"If I may interpose, my Lord," Sabelteur announced. "Perhaps we can create a monster that can infect other humans, turning them into our very own soldiers."

"Brilliant thinking!" Yvestros cried. "Get to work!"

* * *

As Santos arrived back at the Tower, he saw Camille coming out the door, wearing her old clothes again. "Camille, what are you doing up?" he called, running over to her.

"I didn't think you'd be back so soon," Camille sighed.

"Are you going somewhere?" Santos asked.

"As a matter of fact, I am," Camille admitted. "I don't belong here with the Knights of Order. After everything I've done to them, I can't stay here. So I'm leaving to continue my journey."

"Camille, no one blames you for what happened," Santos cried. "You were just being used by Yvestros to do all those things."

"But I still did them, and every day that goes by, I'm reminded of it." Camille looked up at her close friend. "Santos, you've been a very good friend to me for all those years, but my actions these past few weeks were far worse than anything Team Rocket put me through. I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Please, Camille, I can help you," Santos said in a sad voice. "Stay with me like old times."

Camille closed her eyes and turned away. "I can't... Goodbye, Santos." With that, she ran off down the path.

Santos watched her leave then he sighed. "Oh, Camille, I forgive you..."

" _Raichu, rai?_ " asked Raichu.

"I don't know when she'll be back," Santos replied, rubbing his Pokémon's head. "But I hope she finds the strength to forgive herself."

Just then, he heard a gentle beeping noise coming from his pocket. "My Holo Caster!" Pulling it out, he flicked up an image of a serious looking brown haired man in an overcoat. "Oh hello, Looker, what's up?"

"I've just received word of another Team Flare member in the vicinity," Looker replied. "I'm bringing up the info now."

Santos watched as a new image appeared next to Looker, showing a young purple-haired woman wearing an orange uniform, purple tie, and advanced glasses. "Celosia, huh? Think another case is nearby?"

"It's possible," Looker replied. "Now don't let me down this time. Get Celosia and that case, and don't let anything stand in your way. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Santos said.

As the transmission ended, Santos re-pocketed his HoloCaster. "Well, Raichu, guess it's back to business."

* * *

"The monster's complete, my Lord," Sabelteur announced. "Presenting... Dramaldo!"

The Poké-Mutant that entered looked like a purple Armaldo but with the arms and lower body of a Drapion. His powerful tail swung to and fro, ready for action.

"Dramaldo's front pincers contain the infectious poison you requested," Sabelteur explained. "Anyone who gets stung by him will turn into a vicious mutant hybrid in a matter of minutes. Plus, they gain the same ability to infect others too."

"But can this creature infect the Knights too?" Sharphound asked.

"Of course I can," Dramaldo retorted in a buzzing drone. "Nobody is immune to my poison, not even those fools. You'll see."

"Marvellous," Yvestros chuckled. "We'll send you to Shalour City with some KrokoViles. Target the Knights and let them know the true power of LordYvestros!"

* * *

Tristan wiped a hand over his brow. "Alright, Combusken, you did well. Time you got some rest."

"You too, Orville," Rafi said as he and Tristan recalled their Pokémon.

" _Minccino,_ " Lucky called, bounding over to her Trainer.

" _Arch, arch,_ " cried the Archen as he hopped slowly after Lucky.

"I'm coming, Archie," Rafi laughed, walking up to his Pokémon.

"I think I'm ready to take on Korrina," Tristan said. "Combusken's all fighting fit, Sandslash is eager and Fletchinder's also keen."

"What about your Tyrunt?" Electra asked.

"Tyrunt's a Rock-Type," Tristan replied. "He wouldn't last too long against Korrina's Pokémon."

"Good call," Etna said. "And what about you, Rafi?"

"Orville, Spiky and Claude are quite tough," Rafi answered. "But I think I should train up Archie a bit. He doesn't seem ready for a tough fight like this."

"It always struck me as odd that Archen's a Flying-Type and yet they struggle to fly for long," Quinn noted.

"Archen's the ancestor of Flying Pokémon," Marianne explained. "A friend of mine at the Nacrene Museum in Unova told me how Pokémon like Archen eventually learned to fly after years of hopping and gliding from tree to tree."

"And their evolved form, Archeops, became the very first Flying Pokémon," Electra added. "That's what the guys at the Ambrette Town Museum told us when I visited it the first time."

"Still, a little training would be good for Archie," Rafi sighed as he recalled his Prehistoric Pokémon. "I know he can be strong against Korrina's Pokemon."

Suddenly, they heard a loud commotion from down the street. Etna and the Knights turned just in time to see a pack of KrokoViles rampaging through the street, terrifying the people around.

"Uh oh, looks like we've got company!" Electra cried as she and Quinn recalled their Pokémon.

"Very unwelcome company," Tristan replied, checking that the park they were in was clear. "Let's get into our armor!"

The Knights lifted up her Morphers and pressed the buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

Their respective elements burst out of the Morphers and crashed back down onto the Knights, forming their armor.

"I'll stay here and evacuate the street," Etna said, picking up Lucky. "Give 'em hell, guys!"

"Let go get them!" Tristan yelled, leading the charge towards the KrokoViles.

Tristan drew out his sword and slashed at two KrokoViles that were trying to flank him, taking them out. Quinn jumped into a flying kick, catching a KrokoVile in its jaws and smashing all its teeth out. Then whipping out his daggers, he stabbed another KrokoVile in the throat then he hurled his second dagger into the heart of a third.

Rafi stayed at the back, shooting several KrokoViles with his Feather Bow. At his side, Marianne and Electra double-teamed the others with the Water Blaster and the Thunder Hammer. Marianne blasted the KrokoViles with rapid jets of water, drenching their hides. Then Electra finished them off by slamming her hammer into the ground, zapping them in a wave of electricity.

"Is that all of them?" Quinn asked.

"Not quite," came a buzzing noise behind Rafi, Marianne and Electra.

The three Knights whirled around and saw a Drapion-Armaldo hybrid looming over them, clicking its pincers together.

"Ahh, not another bug!" Tristan gasped.

"Watch out!" Quinn yelled.

Rafi raised his bow and fired another shot. The monster grabbed the arrow in his pincer and snapped it like a twig. Then he raised his arm and swung it round, knocking Rafi back into Electra and sending them sprawling on the pavement.

"Now, prepare to feel the power of Dramaldo! Toxic Stinger!" He lifted his pincer and fired a glowing purple dart at Rafi and Electra. Still stunned from the ground, they wouldn't be able to dodge in time...

But at the last second, Marianne jumped in front of her friends, taking the attack for them. The sting pierced the side of her waist, making her cry out in pain as she involuntarily demorphed and landed in front of Rafi and Electra.

"Marianne!" Rafi gasped, seeing his friend hurt.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Tristan yelled, his fears suddenly gone.

He and Quinn raised their Elemental Blasters and opened fire, driving Dramaldo away. Hissing in pain, the Poké-Mutant turned and scuttled down the street.

"After him!" Tristan cried, setting off in pursuit.

"You guys, stay with Marianne," Quinn called as he ran after him.

Etna came running over to them, accompanied by Lucky and Delphox. "What happened?"

"We were attacked by a new Poké-Mutant," Rafi explained. "It tried to sting us, but Marianne took the attack for us."

" _Minccino,_ " Lucky muttered, her ears drooping sadly.

Electra went over to her injured friend, looking at her wound. "Are you alright, Marianne?"

"I don't... feel so good," Marianne groaned. "My chest... feels like... it's on fire..."

"Don't worry, we'll get help." Rafi quickly got on his communicator. "Gurkinn, there's a new monster attacking the city. Marianne's been hurt. We need medical assistance, fast!"

"Lucario, get the scanners up and running!" Gurkinn yelled. "Hang tight, Rafi, I'll have the Door open in no time. Gurkinn out."

Just then, Marianne gave another painful moan and rolled onto her side as her body started to twitch.

"Marianne?" Electra asked nervously. "What's going on?"

It was then that Rafi and Etna noticed that something awful was happening. Marianne's hands were curling into fists, the fingers fusing together into a lump then seconds later, a silver stinger burst through the knuckles. Her skin was flushing purple, becoming hard and chitinous like an exoskeleton, and her legs shifted into insect-like limbs. The next minute, she turned around to face them, her eyes glowing a piercing yellow.

"Oh no," Electra breathed, stepping back towards Etna and Rafi.

Giving an angry hiss, Marianne got to her feet and stalked towards them, raising her stingers...

Suddenly a volley of blue light struck Marianne, driving her away. Etna, Rafi, and Electra turned to see Gurkinn standing in the street, fully morphed and his Blaster pointed at them.

"Get back now!" he yelled, firing another round at her. "Don't make me warn you again!"

With a hiss of pain, Marianne turned and ran away.

"No! Come back!" Rafi called out but she was too far to hear them.

Gurkinn ran over to them, putting away his Blaster. "Are you guys alright? Where's Marianne?"

"That thing you chased off _was_ Marianne," Electra replied shakily.

"What?" Gurkinn gasped. "We'd better find the others, and fast..."

* * *

Santos poked his head around the street corner, checking that he hadn't been spotted. After a while, he slipped around and set off after the orange-unformed figure, Raichu and Sylveon at his heels. He'd managed to locate Celosia as she had entered Shalour City and had been following her closely for the past five minutes.

Finally, Celosia stopped at the Pokémon Center and ducked into an alleyway. Santos also stopped and turned to Sylveon. "Alright, Sylveon, you know what to do."

Ducking low to the ground, Sylveon approached the mouth of the alley. Then she sent out one of her ribbons between the walls, just a few feet off the ground.

A few minutes later, Celosia came up to the entrance and tripped over the ribbon, stumbling onto the pavement and dropping the leather case.

"Grab her!" Santos yelled.

With a flick of her head, Sylveon threw her ribbon out at Celosia, wrapping her up like a mummy.

"Going somewhere, are we?" Santos asked, stepping up to her.

"So you're the bounty hunter that Bryony warned us about!" Celosia snapped. "I must say, you're not what I expected at all."

"I get that a lot," Santos replied nonchalantly as he picked up the case. "Now, time to see what's in here..."

But before he could open the case, he heard a loud bellowing roar. Turning around, he saw Dramaldo stumbling towards them. "Oh, not again..."

Sylveon jumped back in alarm, releasing her grip on Celosia. Seizing the opportunity, Celosia leapt to her feet and tried to grab the case from Santos. "Hand it over, bounty hunter!"

"Get off!" Santos cried, struggling as hard as he could.

" _Raichu!_ " With an angry cry, Raichu ran forward and charged into Celosia, knocking her away from Santos and into Dramaldo's path.

At that moment, Dramaldo raised his pincers and fired two glowing bolts at them. Santos ducked down at the last second, avoiding the sting. Celosia, however, wasn't so lucky. The sting stabbed her in the back, making her cry out in pain.

Just then, Tristan and Quinn appeared, firing their Blasters at Dramaldo. "You won't get away from us this time!" Tristan shouted.

"That's what you think," Dramaldo hissed. "Hope you like your friend's improvements." With that warning, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"What does that mean?" Quinn asked before he noticed Santos. "Oh, hey."

"We've really got to stop meeting like this," Santos sighed. "You guys almost cost me this case."

Tristan then noticed Celosia lying still on the pavement. "Uh-oh, she doesn't look good."

"And she's about to get even worse," Gurkinn called as he, Etna, Rafi and Electra caught up to them.

"Huh?" Tristan asked. "Wait, where's Marianne?"

"Dramaldo's sting turned her into a mutant," Rafi explained. "She's run off into the city somewhere."

"What?" Tristan, Quinn, and Santos gasped.

"There's no time to waste!" Gurkinn grabbed Celosia and lifted her up. "We must get her back to the base!" As he spoke, the Transportation Door appeared on the side of the Pokemon Center. "Let's go!"

* * *

By the time the Knights and their allies arrived at the base, Celosia was beginning to change. Her skin was the color of a Bluk Berry and stingers were emerging from her fists.

" _Lucar, lucario?_ " Lucario asked.

"No, that's not Marianne," Gurkinn replied. "Hurry, help me get her into bed!"

As Gurkinn laid Celosia on one of the beds, Lucario pulled out some straps from the frame and tied them around her body. The moment he'd finished, she flicked her eyes open, hissing in anger.

"Holy Arceus!" Tristan gasped.

As she started to pull and struggle, Gurkinn snatched up a bag next to the furthest bed. Dipping his hand in, he drew out a handful of dust and threw it at Celosia's face. She coughed a few time before her struggling lessened and she slumped back on the bed.

"What did you do to her?" Santos asked.

"Just knocked her out with some Sleep Powder." Gurkinn switched on the scanner and pointed it at Celosia. "It's just as I've feared. That sting has completely rewritten her DNA, just like it did to Marianne."

"This is terrible," Quinn breathed.

"Yes, Yvestros has really done it this time," Gurkinn agreed. "A Poké-Mutant that creates other mutants from humans... And this is just the start of it. With that monster, he could infect the entire city, an army of mutants capable of conquering all of Kalos!"

"Is there a way to cure them?" Rafi asked worriedly.

"That's why I brought her here," Gurkinn replied, looking at the transformed Celosia. "I hoped that we could single out the element that changed her and use it to formulate an antidote."

"Can you make this quick?" Santos cut in. "I need her back to normal so that I can arrest her."

"It's not gonna be that easy, Santos," Gurkinn retorted. "Don't you have anything else you can do while you wait?"

Santos didn't reply, he just went into a corner and sat down, opening the case. Raichu and Sylveon sat down next to him, keeping their eyes on Celosia.

"Well, in the meantime, what do we do about Dramaldo?" Electra asked.

"I fear that Dramaldo is still out there, infecting other people," Gurkinn replied grimly. "You guys need to get out there and find him again. Maybe you can extract a more potent sample of his poison to help us make an antidote."

"What, are you nuts?" Electra cried. "That's almost impossible."

"Can't we just destroy him to reverse the effects?" Rafi agreed.

"This mutation is too advanced to be stopped by simply destroying Dramaldo," Gurkinn replied. "And I haven't got the elements necessary to whip up a cure out of thin air, even with my advanced machinery. That sample could be the defining factor for that antidote."

"I know a bit about traditional medicine," Quinn chipped in, taking off his helmet. "I'd like to stay and help out."

"I'll help too," Etna said.

Gurkinn turned to his trusty Lucario. "Go with the others, old friend. Do whatever they tell you and if you get the sample, use your Extreme Speed to bring it back here fast."

" _Lucario,_ " the Aura Pokémon replied.

"Alright, let's get back to the city," Tristan cried as he, Rafi, Electra, and Lucario ran back to the Door. "And fast, before we have to deal with a mutant apocalypse..."

* * *

As they came back out the Door, Tristan could already see that Dramaldo had been very busy. Dozens of mutated humans stalked the streets, pounding on doors and smashing windows with their stingers, trying to seek out anyone who wasn't infected.

"They're everywhere!" Rafi breathed in shock.

At that moment, a man came pelting out of one house, trying to get away. But he didn't get far before one of the mutants swung its arm around, scratching him on the shoulder. With an agonized cry, the man fell back against a lamppost, clutching his wound. Then seconds later, his body turned purple and he stumbled upright, joining the mutants.

"So they can infect people as well," Tristan gulped. "This is not good..."

"How are we supposed to find Dramaldo in all this mess?" Electra cried.

Hearing her shout, the mutants turned to face the Knights, hissing like angry Sevipers.

Tristan took out his sword and held it in front of him. "Looks like we might have a fight on our hands."

Before he could charge in, Lucario grabbed his arm and held him back. " _Lucario, lucar,_ " he cried, shaking his head.

"I don't think he wants us to fight them," Rafi guessed. "Whatever they've become, they're still human."

"But how do we get past them then?" Tristan asked.

In response, Lucario stepped forward and summoned a glowing blue orb in his paws. He then threw it out, not at the mutants, but at the road in front of them. As the orb hit the ground, it exploded in a flash of light that swept the infected humans away, clearing the road.

"Whoa!" Electra gasped. "Nice job, Lucario!"

Lucario smiled then pointed down the road ahead. " _Lucar!_ "

"Is that where we need to go?" Rafi asked.

Lucario nodded then set off down the street.

"Let's go!" Tristan cried, leading the others after him.

But as they ran, neither of them noticed one mutant, still wearing a blue shirt and white shorts, getting up and staggering after them...

* * *

"Such a glorious sight," Yvestros laughed, watching the city from the images viewed from the Spydoves. "All those mutants... what an army I will create with them!"

Sharphound smiled as he watched Dramaldo stomping across the streets, shooting his venomous barbs at every human that tried to escape. "Soon we'll have more mutants that we can handle. Who needs those KrokoViles?"

 _Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Beep-beep!_

"Knight activity sighted," Sabelteur announced. "It seems they're coming back for Round 2."

Yvestros gave a nasty smile as he watched the Knights running towards Dramaldo. "More like the final round before they work for us..."

* * *

"Hey," Etna called to Santos, walking up to him with two bottles of Fresh Water as she examined the contents of the case. "I thought you could use one of these."

"Thanks." Santos accepted a bottle and took a sip then handed the bottle over to Raichu. "How's it going over there?"

"Well, Gurkinn and Quinn are testing some possible ingredients for the cure," she explained. "I suggested using some Pecha Berries because they can cure poisoning, as well as a few Kebia Berries because they lessen damage taken by Poison attacks. Now they're mixing it together before they test it on Celosia."

"That sounds hopeful," Santos replied, leafing through some pages.

"Anything interesting in those papers?" Etna asked.

"Not really. The only thing I'm getting is the known history of Yvestros' reign, as well as the identity of his five most trusted Generals."

"Five Generals?"

"Yeah, listen to this." He picked up a page and started to read. "'The conquest of Kalos wasn't achieved by Yvestros alone. At his side were five Poké-Mutants created by his own hand. The first General was a ruthless being, clad in Bisharp armor and breathing the fire of Houndoom. The second General had the mischievous nature of Sableye whose hands created armies of monsters. The third General bore the more mystical powers of Gothitelle while flying on Venomoth wings.'"

"Those do sound a lot like Sharphound, Sabelteur and Mothitelle," Etna deduced. "But what about the other two Generals?"

"All it says on them are that they embody the spirits of black and white," Santos replied. "One wields the energy of the storms while the other contains the pure essence of fire. Any thoughts on that?"

"Not one," Etna said, shaking her head. "But it does make you wonder. What did the other cases contain? And how does it relate to their other plan?"

"I don't know," Santos sighed, glancing at Celosia. "And our only means of finding out is still mutated and incapable of speaking."

"Don't worry," Etna reassured him. "They'll get that sample back. I know they will."

Santos nodded and went back to looking through the notes, not noticing Celosia's mutated hand starting to twitch...

* * *

"Hold that thing back!" Officer Jenny ordered the rest of her squad. "Don't let it go any further into the city!"

The police ordered their Growlithe and Litleo to attack as Dramaldo drew closer. Each Pokémon spat out streams of fire at the Poke-Mutant.

"Is that all you've got?" Dramaldo scoffed, his skin barely even seared. "Pathetic. Venoshock!"

He spat out a spray of poisonous liquid, washing the Pokémon aside. Then he raised his claws and fired a volley of Toxic Stingers at the police. Many officers were caught in the attack, Jenny included. Those that avoided the attack quickly fled before their comrades had finished mutating.

"That's right, run!" Dramaldo laughed. "Nobody can stop my rampage of mutation!"

"Except for the Knights of Order!" Tristan yelled as he, Rafi, Electra, and Lucario arrived on the scene.

"Oh hello there," Dramaldo chuckled, turning to face them. "How is your dear Water Knight? Still wandering the streets, contaminating the very people she swore to protect?"

"That tears it!" Tristan growled, raising his sword. "Let's get that antidote!"

"Of course, that's why you're here. You want to get my precious antidote?" Dramaldo lifted up his tail claw and waved it side to side tauntingly. "Come and get it!"

"Elemental Blasters, go!" Electra and Rafi raised their guns and opened fire. Dramaldo gasped in pain as the bolts struck his skin.

"Oh yeah? Try this on for size! Toxic Stinger!" He raised his claws again and fired the poisonous barbs.

The Knights and Lucario quickly dived out of the way, narrowly avoiding the stings and hiding behind some abandoned cars.

"How are we supposed to get close to him?" Electra panted.

"I have an idea," Tristan replied. "Lucario, stay back here and wait for us. Rafi, you keep him distracted with your Bow and allow us to get closer to him. Then, Electra, you stun him with your Hammer while I jump in, chop off his tail and throw it up to Lucario."

"Worth a shot," Electra said. "Let's go."

Lucario kept his eye on Dramaldo while Rafi poked his head out and lifted his Bow. "Hey, bug-face!" he called, firing an Arrow at Dramaldo.

Unlike the first time, the arrow managed to pierce his exoskeleton, making him hiss in pain. "You'll pay for that! Venoshock!"

As he spewed another noxious spray, Rafi ducked down again.

Meanwhile, Tristan and Electra carefully crept up around the sides of the cars, getting closer to Dramaldo. After a while, Tristan looked up. "That's close enough. Let's do this!"

Electra raised her hammer and slammed it on the ground, sending a shock wave out at Dramaldo. As the electricity struck him, he cried out in pain and fell to the ground. "Go for it!"

But just as Tristan jumped out, raising his sword, he suddenly heard Rafi screaming in terror. He spun around and gasped in horror, seeing that Rafi was now demorphed and lying on the ground next to his cover, clutching his side, as the mutated Marianne stood over him, her claws raised in triumph.

"RAFI!" Tristan yelled.

"Ha!" Dramaldo cheered, his body still sparking with electricity. "My mutant Knight has come to my aid. You are doomed, Knights of Order!"

"Not while I can still do this!" Tristan lifted his sword up and swung it down, cutting off Dramaldo's tail claw. The Poké-Mutant gave another scream of pain as Tristan snatched up the claw.

"Lucario, we've got it!" he yelled, throwing it up. "Catch!"

At the command, Lucario jumped out from behind the car, grabbed the claw and hit the ground running, setting off back to the Tower.

"You're gonna regret that!" Dramaldo snapped, getting to his feet. "Mutants, attack!"

Electra gulped as she saw the newly mutated Rafi getting to his feet, hissing angrily as he joined Marianne. "I can't believe we're about to fight our own friends."

"We just have to hold out until Gurkinn and Quinn prepares that cure," Tristan muttered. "Hurry up, Lucario..."

* * *

"It seems to be working," Gurkinn said, lifting up the flask of Berry juice. "The juice of the Pecha Berries are reacting well with the Kebia Berries's flesh. All we need is that poison sample from Dramaldo and we just might get the cure."

"If Lucario makes it back in time," Quinn replied.

"He will," Gurkinn said.

Suddenly they heard an angry hiss behind them. Gurkinn and Quinn spun round and saw that Celosia was awake, straining against the bonds. Finally, she broke free and pounced off the bed.

"Look out!" Quinn shouted.

Hearing the shouts, Etna and Santos jumped off their seats and rolled away, narrowly avoiding Celosia's stings. Quinn and Gurkinn pulled out their Blasters and fired a volley of shots, trying to hold her back.

With a furious hiss, Celosia raised her stingers and blasted out two Pin Missiles, hitting the Blasters out of the Knights' hands.

"Sylveon, grab her!" Santos yelled.

Sylveon jumped up and whipped out her ribbons, wrapping them around Celosia's arms. Hissing again, Celosia hooked her stingers on the ribbons and pulled. Raichu caught hold of Sylveon's legs to keep her steady. But in the end, Celosia managed to gain some ground, hurling the two Pokemon over her shoulders and flinging them back at Santos and Etna. Sylveon crashed into Santos and knocked him down while Etna was bowled off her feet by Raichu.

Celosia then turned and charged towards the Rangers.

"Don't let her reach the cure!" Gurkinn yelled.

Quinn summoned his Leaf Dirks and jumped in front of Gurkinn. As Celosia thrust out her stinger, Quinn blocked it with one dagger before kicking her in the stomach. Celosia struck out again, narrowly missing as Quinn ducked aside. As she swung out her arm, she managed to clip Quinn on the head, knocking him down.

Gurkinn stood in front of the flask, raising his Claw Blades. "Stay back, you!" he warned, as Celosia stepped closer, ready to infect him...

But then, she suddenly stopped, her face contorting into one of pain and confusion even though her eyes were obscured. Then she staggered backward and collapsed to the floor, revealing Lucario standing there, holding a severed tail claw in his paw.

Gurkinn let out a sigh of relief. "Good timing, old friend."

" _Lucario,_ " said the Aura Pokémon, handing him the claw.

Then Quinn got to his feet as Gurkinn frowned at him. "Have you been...?"

"No, I was lucky," Quinn replied. "Is that the sample?"

"Guys, look!" Etna called, pointing at Celosia.

Right before their eyes, she was starting to change again. The shell was fading back to skin and the stingers melted away from her fists. Before long, Celosia was back to normal despite looking pale.

"W-what...?" she gasped, looking around in confusion. "Where am I?" Then she spotted Etna nearby and she scowled. "You! I should have guessed you were involved."

"Don't you remember anything?" Etna asked.

"All I remember is that bounty hunter cornering me," Celosia snapped, getting to her feet. "Is this a prison or something?"

Before anyone could reply, Santos ran up and threw a handful of Sleep Powder at her face, making her cough loudly before she fell to the floor again.

"I'll take her from here, guys," Santos said, taking out some handcuffs. "You just get to work on that cure."

Gurkinn carefully squeezed the tail claw, forcing out a steady trickle of venom into the flask before shaking it up. "All ready. Now we just need a fast way to distribute it across the city."

"Meanwhile, I'd better get after the others," Quinn said, putting on his helmet. "Set the Door to the others' location..."

* * *

Electra ducked to one side, avoiding a sting from Rafi, then grabbed his arm and yanked him away. Marianne came in with her attack which Electra blocked with her hammer before kicking her friend in the legs.

"Guys, I know you're still in there!" Electra called. "Please don't do this!"

But the only response she got was two angry snarls as Rafi and Marianne went back on the attack.

Meanwhile, Tristan was facing Dramaldo. The Poké-Mutant fired his Toxic Stingers incessantly and Tristan blocked each attack with his sword. Fed up with missing his target, Dramaldo spat out his Venoshock over Tristan's helmet.

"Hey!" Tristan yelled as his visor was coated in liquid. "I can't see!"

Sensing victory, Dramaldo reached out his claw, grabbed Tristan by the throat and lifted him up. "Your attempts are futile, Fire Knight." He then raised his other claw. "Now say goodbye to your humanity!"

Suddenly Quinn burst out of the alley next to him and swiped out with his daggers, slicing off the claw that held Tristan. Dramaldo cried out in pain and stumbled back, clutching his arm.

"Thanks, Quinn!" Tristan sighed, pulling off the claw round his neck.

At that moment, they heard a series of snarls and hisses. Tristan and Quinn spun round and saw the mutated police officers staggering towards them, stingers at the ready.

"You think you've won this battle?" Dramaldo snapped. "If I can't mutate you, my minions will do it for me! Face it, you've haven't got a hope anymore!"

"There's no way we can take them all on," Tristan gulped.

"We don't need to." Quinn switched on his communicator. "Gurkinn, send them in!"

Tristan's eyes widened behind his helmet as a Talonflame swooped out of the alley, carrying two bottles in its claws. As it flew over the infected officers, it released one of the bottles onto the pavement. The bottle smashed upon impact, sending out a spray of pink sludge that coated the officers. Talonflame then veered towards Electra and dropped the second bottle, releasing the sludge onto Rafi and Marianne.

"Is that really your plan?" Dramaldo scoffed. "That stuff won't stop my mutants!"

"Maybe not," Quinn replied smugly. "But it sure will make them right as rain again!"

"What?"

Even as Dramaldo spoke, Tristan could suddenly see a change in the officers' behavior. The hissing noises were gradually changing into confused groans.

Electra carefully approached her sludge covered friends. "Rafi? Marianne?"

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Quinn held his breath and Tristan kept his hand on his Blaster...

Then Marianne lifted up her hands, which no longer had stingers, and wiped the sludge away from her face. "Huh? What happened?"

Rafi shook his body like a dog, clearing the slime off himself.

"You're back!" Electra cheered, throwing her fist in the air.

"Nooo!" Dramaldo snapped. "You've reversed the mutation!"

"And that's not all," Quinn retorted. "We've sent the cure out all across the entire city. Soon everybody you've infected will be back to normal, and they won't even remember the whole ordeal."

"I'll destroy you all for this!" Dramaldo yelled, raising his remaining claw.

Tristan and Quinn dived out of the way and rejoined the others. "Think you're okay to fight again?" Tristan asked Rafi and Marianne.

"Always!" Marianne replied as she and Rafi pressed their Morphers' buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The elements of Flying and Water erupted from their Morphers, striking their bodies and creating their armor.

"Let's take him down with some real firepower!" Tristan raised his Blaster and flipped its hidden switch. The others did the same and took aim at Dramaldo.

"Overheat!" Tristan fired a powerful hot beam.

"Aeroblast!" Rafi shot out a deadly vortex of wind.

"Water Spout!" Marianne launched a high-pressured stream of water.

"Solar Beam!" Quinn blasted a beam of light brighter than the sun.

"Zap Cannon!" Electra let loose a cannon-blast of electricity,

The five elemental beams met in the middle, fusing together to create a huge surge of energy.

"Ultimate Elemental Blast!" the Knights yelled.

The energy beam shot out from the surge and struck Dramaldo right in the chest. The Poké-Mutant let out a painful scream as he was thrown backwards into the street, exploding the instant he hit the ground.

* * *

"No! Our plans are ruined!" Yvestros bellowed. "Not only have they destroyed our monster, they've managed to restore the humans!"

"Shall I go down there?" Mothitelle asked.

Yvestros' hateful glare was all the answer she needed.

* * *

Mothitelle appeared over the street, hovering by the remains of Dramaldo. "You may have prevented our invasion, Knights of Order, but our monster's not done with you! Power Spore!"

With a flap of her wings, Mothitelle sprinkled her spore over Dramaldo, who rose to his feet as he grew taller until he towered over the city. His claw and tail had also regrown and he snapped them in anticipation.

Quinn turned to the baffled officers. "Keep the streets clear. We'll take it from here."

"You heard him," Officer Jenny shouted. "Let's go!"

As the police ran off to obey, Tristan pressed the call button on his Morpher. "Release the PokéZords!"

* * *

At the Knight's Base, the PokéZords switched on and stomped out of their storage units. Santos gasped as he looked up at the giant robots. "Awesome!"

"Yep," Etna agreed. "They are impressive."

Gurkinn switched on the Transportation Door, allowing the Zords to pass through.

* * *

The Knights of Order looked round as the PokéZords came into view, shooting the beams of light that transported them into their cockpits.

"Rafi, get that monster out of the city!" Tristan ordered.

"You got it!" Rafi called, throwing the stick. "Sky Drop!"

The Pidgeot Zord took off over the city. As Dramaldo turned round, the Zord grabbed his arms in its talons and flapped its wings again, lifting him out of the city.

"No, you don't!" Dramaldo dug his tail claw into the ground and pulled as hard as he could. Rafi made his Zord flap even harder, leading into a bizarre tug-o-war.

"He's not letting up!" Rafi grunted.

"You'll need to sever his tail again," Gurkinn called through the Zords' communicator. "Quinn, your PokéZord should be able to squeeze past the buildings. Go for it!"

"Here goes nothing," Quinn said, flicking his joystick. "Leaf Blade!"

The Sceptile Zord leapt into the air, its arm blades starting to glow. It landed behind Dramaldo and swung its blades round, slicing off his tail. Without his grip on the ground, Dramaldo shot into the air like a bullet, crashing into the Pidgeot Zord and tumbling through the air. Rafi corrected his Zord's flight before carrying Dramaldo away from the city and throwing him onto the beach.

"Time to deal with him," Tristan called as he and the others pressed their buttons. "MegaZord of Justice transformation, activate!"

Each PokéZord flashed white as the command was issued. First, the Blaziken Zord jumped into the air, its arms folding back into its body. At the same time, the Blastoise Zord withdrew its head and limbs into its shell, which opened up on the front and fused over the Blaziken Zord's body, creating the main torso.

Next, the Sceptile and Ampharos Zords lay down on their stomachs and folded in their limbs and tails as they straightened up, the heads resting on their chests. The bottom half joined onto the main torso, forming the legs.

Then, the Pidgeot Zord took to the air, its head and tail folding into its body which then split in half. Each half then joined to either side of the torso upside down, so that the legs formed the arms, while the wings folded over the front of the torso. The completed MegaZord landed on the ground, the Blaziken's beak opening up to reveal a more humanoid face.

"MegaZord of Justice, ready!" the Knights yelled in the main cockpit as the robot raised its arms.

"Pin Missile!" Dramaldo yelled, firing a volley of needles from his claws.

"Hydro Cannon!" Marianne cried, throwing her stick out.

The MegaZord lowered its cannon and fired a jet of water out, catching the needles and washing them away. Dramaldo threw his claws out to try and catch the MegaZord.

"Air Slash!" Rafi shouted, pushing his stick out.

The MegaZord raised an arm and brought it down on Dramaldo's arms, chopping them off. Dramaldo stumbled back in pain.

"Mega Sword, engage!" Tristan yelled.

Raising its hands up, the MegaZord summoned its ultimate weapon.

"Time to eliminate this bug!" Tristan said, throwing his stick out. "Order Slash!"

Charging forward, the MegaZord raised its glowing sword and smashed it into Dramaldo who gave a final scream of pain before collapsing into the sea and exploding into pieces.

* * *

"Phew, so glad that's all over," Tristan sighed back at the Tower.

"You can say that again," Marianne replied. "I can't believe I let that monster turn me into one of those things."

"For what it's worth, you at least saved Rafi and me from that fate," Electra said. "Thanks a bunch."

"And I don't blame you for infecting me," Rafi added. "You weren't in control of your actions."

" _Mincci,_ " Lucky agreed.

"And thanks to Santos' Aerodactyl and my Talonflame and Charizard, the whole city has been restored," Etna beamed. "And they won't remember any harm they did to anyone else."

"That reminds me, where did Camille go?" Quinn realized.

"She left the base before it all started," Santos explained, loading Celosia onto his Aerodactyl's back. "She feels bad about all she did to you."

"Are you going too?" Etna asked.

"Yeah, I've still got my mission with Looker and my Pokémon journey," Santos replied. "But I'll come visit any time you want."

"Wait, before you go, let me have your Holo Caster." Gurkinn pressed some buttons on it then handed it back to Santos. "I've given you my number. If we ever need you for anything, we'll let you know."

"Thanks. Good luck, guys!" With that, Santos hopped onto Aerodactyl. "Let's go, girl! Back to Lumiose City!"

Giving a loud screech, Aerodactyl took to the air and flew off to the south-east.

"Well, we've got our Pokémon journey too, Rafi," Tristan said. "Korrina doesn't know what's coming to her!"

* * *

 **And I'm done. These chapters are getting a lot harder to write, but I hope you enjoy this one.**

 **Anyway, I just want to add that soon I will be posting a prequel spinoff to the story, about the journeys that Santos and Camille had before they came to Kalos. It's something that D.J. Scales and I have discussed at great length when he suggested Camille to me, and hopefully, it will be quite a tale to tell.**

 **Until then, see you soon**


	21. The Monster Munchies

**This chapter is dedicated to Martyn, the guest reviewer who gave me the idea for Rafi. Thank you again for the suggestion, and please make an account for yourself so that next time you have something for Rafi, I can discuss it with you.**

* * *

 _Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _While Tristan and Rafi trained for their upcoming Gym Battle with Korrina, Camille left Shalour City, still guilty of her time as the evil Dragon Knight of Destruction. Shortly after, a new Poké-Mutant, Dramaldo, invaded the city, using his deadly stings to transform people into mutants, including Marianne and Celosia, a Team Flare scientist and Santos' latest target. Tristan, Rafi and Electra, aided by Gurkinn's Lucario, managed to acquire the antidote and Gurkinn used it to reverse the effects across the entire city. With the Knights reunited, they were able to completely destroy Dramaldo while Santos left to take Celosia to jail..._

* * *

Chapter 20: The Monster Munchies

"The next Gym Battle of Shalour City is about to begin!" the judge announced. "The battle is between Korrina, the Gym Leader, and Tristan Mitchell from Slateport City. Each competitor will use three Pokémon, but only the challenger is allowed to switch Pokémon. The battle will end when all of one team's Pokémon is unable to fight."

Korrina gave a confident smirk. "You ready for this, Tristan?"

"Ready, willing and certain to win!" Tristan replied, clenching his fist.

In the arena stands, Quinn smiled. "He's confident, I'll give you that."

"Yeah, and I don't blame him," Marianne agreed. "With this badge, he'll be one step closer to entering the Pokémon League."

"Mienfoo, time to fight!" Korrina yelled, calling out her first Pokémon.

"Let's get it on, Sandslash!" Tristan shouted, sending his father's Pokémon out.

"Let the round begin!" the judge declared.

"Sandslash, let's go for Sandstorm!" Tristan called.

Sandslash spun around in a ball, creating a huge cloud of sand that swept over the area.

"Don't let that slow you down, Mienfoo!" Korrina shouted. "Drain Punch!"

Mienfoo raised a glowing paw and pounced towards Sandslash.

"Dodge it quick and go into Rollout!" Tristan called.

At the last second, Sandslash dived away from Mienfoo, curling up into a ball. Without slowing down, he rolled around the arena before turning towards Mienfoo and bashing into it, throwing it across the field.

"Now that's good thinking," Quinn said. "Thanks to that Sandstorm, Sandslash has increased his evasion, thus allowing it to avoid Mienfoo's attacks while building up momentum for Rollout."

"Get out of the way!" Korrina shouted.

Mienfoo jumped to one side, avoiding Sandslash's run. Sandslash skidded to a stop and turned to face it.

"High Jump Kick!" Korrina called.

"Counter it with Crush Claw!" Tristan ordered.

Mienfoo jumped into the air, its knee bent to attack. At the same time, Sandslash's claws flashed white as he pounced forward. The two Pokémon met in midair, knee clashing against claw. But Sandslash was thrown back across the arena.

"Oh no!" Tristan gasped.

"Now Swift!" Korrina called.

As Mienfoo landed, it threw its paws out, sending out dozens of glowing stars. The stars struck Sandslash as he fell and by the time he hit the ground, he was completely knocked out.

"Sandslash is unable to battle!" the judge called. "Mienfoo is the winner!"

"Looks like strength held out against speed in the end," Marianne sighed as she watched her friend recalling his Pokémon. "Tristan will have to step up his game."

"Yeah, and Rafi's gonna have a hard time against her too," Quinn added while Tristan sent out Fletchinder. "I hope Etna and Electra will be able to whip him into shape..."

* * *

"Come on, Rafi, keep it up!" Electra called as she jogged along one of the backstreets of Shalour with Pikachu on her shoulder.

Behind her, Rafi was puffing and panting as he ran after her. Lucky and Archie were sitting on his shoulders, Spiky ran at his feet and Orville flew overhead. Etna was just a few feet behind him, running with her Houndoom and Pyroar.

"Can we... take five?" Rafi gasped, bending double. "Is this exercise really necessary?"

"If you want to take on Korrina, you and your Pokémon need to be fighting fit," Etna replied. "Orville is tough enough, but Lucky would be taken out instantly. Spiky could hold his own against Mienfoo and Archie has some Flying-Type moves to fight back."

"Can't we just train my Pokémon up a little then?" Rafi asked.

"Alright, let's do that next," Electra agreed. "Let's head for the beach."

As they walked at a slower pace, they suddenly saw a group of people gathered on the street. "Hey, what's happening over there?" Rafi asked.

"Let's take a look," Electra decided.

Pushing through the crowd, they saw a stall that sold small colorful candies. Behind it, a large man wearing an apron and a Slurpuff-shaped hat was beckoning them closer.

"Step right up, folks!" he called out. "Have I got a treat for you today? For one day only, I'm giving away free samples of my secret recipe, super-delicious, hard-to-resist, PokéPuffs! A treat so tasty that humans and Pokémon will go nuts over them. Just try one and you're hooked on them!"

"I'll take one," Rafi called, running up to the stand. "All that running has certainly worked up an appetite."

"Wait a minute, guys," Etna said. "This all sounds a little fishy. No one gives away PokéPuffs for free."

"Come on, Etna, it's just one PokePuff. What harm can it do?" So saying, Rafi picked up a mint PokéPuff and took a bite out of it.

At once, his face lit up and his eyes began to sparkle. "Wowie! This is the most delicious thing I've ever eaten! I've gotta have more of them!" Stuffing the last of the mint PokéPuff in his mouth, he snatched up an armful of them and started munching them up. Some of the treats fell out and his Pokémon started eating them too.

"What's going on here?" Electra cried.

"Seriously, guys, you've got to try these!" Rafi shouted with his mouth full. "They're so good!"

"I'll be the judge of that!" Electra snatched up a spice PokéPuff and carefully nibbled it. But the more she ate of it, the quicker it disappeared into her mouth. Then she took up another PokePuff... and another... and then ten more.

"Hey, slow down, you two!" Etna called. "Those treats can't be good for you if you eat so many!"

It was then Etna saw that several people were munching through bunches of PokéPuffs, without showing any signs of stopping. She looked down and saw Spiky and Pikachu fighting with Lucky and Archie over the treats.

"What's going on here?" she muttered. "Something's not right."

" _Pidgeo,_ " Orville agreed.

As they looked around, the man behind the stall gave a sinister smile...

* * *

"Excellent, excellent," Sabelteur chuckled, watching the scene on the computer screen.

"Credit where it's due, this plan is working well," Sharphound conceded.

"Yes," Yvestros grinned. "Those PokéPuffs are the most addictive treat in the whole city."

"And the best part is, they won't stop," Sabelteur laughed, showing his teeth. "They'll just keep eating and eating and eating until they're unable to move or act. And once they're nice and plump, we'll come in and drain the whole city of their life force!"

* * *

Tristan's battle had come down to the wire. Fletchinder had made short work of Mienfoo and was able to take out Machoke after a long fight, but now Korrina had sent in Hawlucha who was able to defeat Fletchinder and Tristan had replaced him with Combusken.

"Hawlucha, Karate Chop!" Korrina shouted.

Hawlucha took off towards Combusken, raising its arm to hit him.

"Counter that with Sky Uppercut!" Tristan called.

Combusken jumped into the air, pulling his arm back. Just before Hawlucha could strike, Combusken threw his arm up, catching Hawlucha on the chin and throwing it backward.

"Now let's finish with Flame Charge!"

Combusken's body caught fire as he sprinted to his opponent.

"Quickly, Hawlucha, go for Flying Press!" Korrina yelled.

Hawlucha took to the air once more and dived towards Combusken. The two Pokémon struck each other at the same time, causing a blinding flash of light that made everyone cover their eyes. When the light faded, Combusken and Hawlucha stood back to back in the arena, panting hard and still posed for battle.

Tristan and Korrina watched their Pokémon, waiting to see who would move first. Marianne gripped the edge of the stands and Quinn waited with bated breath.

At that moment, Combusken started to fall forward. Tristan gasped in shock and Hawlucha turned to grin at its success. But then its body flashed red and it flinched before it tumbled to the ground, landing just before Combusken who had caught himself in the nick of time.

"Hawlucha is unable to battle!" the judge declared. "The winner of the battle is Tristan!"

"Yahoo! We did it!" Tristan cheered.

"Way to go, Tristan!" Quinn shouted.

In the arena, Combusken walked up to Hawlucha and held out his wing. Hawlucha accepted it and let Combusken lift him to its feet.

"Thanks for that," Korrina smiled as she walked up to Tristan. "Congratulations. That was a great battle. It certainly made me feel better after what Camille did to me. Please, accept this Rumble Badge as a sign of your victory."

Tristan took the badge and held it up to show his friends. "Check it out, guys!"

"Well done, Tristan!" Marianne called.

Just then, they heard a loud beeping coming from their Morphers.

"Oh, it's our communicators." Tristan raised his Morpher and switched it on. "This is Tristan, what's going on?"

"Hey, it's Etna!" came the reply.

"Etna?" Tristan asked. "How are you calling us?"

"I'm using Electra's Morpher," Etna replied. "Something's going on with her and Rafi. I think you'd better come and see this."

* * *

Far from Shalour City, Camille was making her way through the coastal Route 12, her mind still clouded from the memories of the past few weeks. Even though she'd left the Knights, she still felt guilty for all the things she'd done to them.

"How can anyone forgive me, after all that?" she muttered to herself. "I've done many bad things in the past, but I've nearly killed my closest friends, Marianne and Quinn! I'd never forgive myself."

As the last thought was spoken, she stopped and sat down on the edge of the shore, looking out at sea. "And it's not just my human friends either," she sobbed. "My best friend, Dragonite, is gone too. How could I have done such a horrible thing?"

"Excuse me, are you alright?" came a voice behind her.

Camille turned around in alarm, seeing a middle-aged woman coming up to her. She had bright pink hair and wore red-tinted glasses, a black turtleneck shirt cut off at the navel and long red pants with diamond shaped cut outs. At her side was a Houndoom wearing a red studded collar with a glowing stone.

"Why are you crying?" she asked.

"You wouldn't understand," Camille replied glumly.

The woman folded her arms. "Try me."

Camille turned away from her and looked out to sea again. "Well, I'd been kidnapped by the most ruthless villain in the world and hypnotized into doing horrible things to some very good friends. And now this guilt is eating me up inside..." She broke off with a sigh, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The woman walked up to her and put a hand on Camille's shoulder. "You'd better come with me. My house is close by, and we can talk more there."

* * *

"And they've been eating those PokéPuffs for how long?" Tristan asked once Etna had explained the whole story.

Following Tristan's victory, he, Marianne and Quinn had met up with Gurkinn and Etna by the Tower of Mastery, Etna having managed to drag Rafi and Electra away from the PokéPuff stall while Orville and Talonflame had to carry Lucky, Spiky and Archie.

"For about ten minutes after they tasted the first one," Etna replied. "And you should have seen the crowds of people and Pokémon clamoring for more."

Quinn meanwhile was examining Rafi and Electra. "Well, all those PokéPuffs have definitely made an impression on them."

Tristan and Marianne nodded in agreement. Electra's stomach was sticking out from under her jacket while Rafi had put on so much weight that his clothes were barely fitting his body. Even Lucky, Spiky, Pikachu and Archie were sporting ballooned stomachs.

Etna held up a bag full of PokéPuffs. "I managed to get the last few before the people swiped them."

"Give them here!" Electra snapped, pushing Quinn aside.

"No way, I saw them first!" Rafi yelled.

Before they could reach Etna, Lucario grabbed them by their shirts and held them back. Orville barely managed to lift Lucky and Archie into the air while Talonflame kept a firm grip on Pikachu and Spiky, not noticing that Pikachu's cheeks were beginning to spark. " _Pika-chuuuuuuuuu!_ "

Pikachu released his Thunder Shock, zapping Talonflame and Spiky. Talonflame crashed to the ground knocked out along with Spiky while Pikachu wriggled free and pounced on the PokePuff bag, intending to rip it open and get the treats inside.

Gurkinn quickly slipped on a pair of blue gloves and grabbed Pikachu gently but firmly, pulling him away from the bag. Pikachu released another Thunder Shock, but Gurkinn was unaffected. "That won't work on me with these rubber gloves on. Let's get them inside."

Tristan and Quinn gave Lucario a hand with Rafi and Electra while Etna and Marianne carried Lucky, Spiky and Archie, escorting them down the stairs to the Knights' Base.

While Quinn and Marianne helped Rafi, Electra and their Pokémon onto the beds and strapped them down, Tristan, Etna, and Gurkinn took the bag over to the console. "Their ravenous behavior started the moment they ate these PokéPuffs," Gurkinn explained. "So maybe the computer can scan these things and find out what it is that makes them so irresistible."

He took out a PokéPuff and placed it on the scanner. A few seconds later, the screen flashed on, revealing a list of ingredients.

"Let's see here... various species of Berries... different types of seasonings and... one unknown element detected." Gurkinn typed on the keyboard, trying to examine the element closer. "The readings can't pick up on the unknown ingredient, but it does seem to have a viscosity similar to that of Lickilicky saliva."

"Eww," Tristan muttered.

"Is there a way we can cure them?" Etna asked.

"It's not that easy, I'm afraid. If I don't know what that stuff is, I can't work out how to fix them."

"Then what do we do?" Quinn asked.

Gurkinn took a deep breath and turned around. "The medical scanners may be able to locate the source directly, but to do that, they'll need to examine someone who's in the early stages of this spell. Rafi and Electra are too far gone for that, which leaves us with only one option."

Marianne's eyes widened. "You don't mean...?"

"One of us will have to eat a PokéPuff for the scan."

Etna and the unaffected Knights were silent for a long moment. Then Quinn stepped forward. "I'll do it."

Gurkinn shook his head. "As much as I commend your sacrifice, someone strong needs to protect the city, and I'm not the young Knight I used to be. I'll have to take it myself."

Tristan looked uneasy but he nodded. "Okay, Gurkinn. You're the boss. What do you want us to do?"

"Just monitor the scanners and analyze the cause of my cravings." With that, Gurkinn climbed onto the last bed and Lucario strapped him in. "And remember, no matter what I do, no matter how much I beg for it, do not let me loose until the scans have detected the cause. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, Gurkinn," Tristan replied as the others nodded.

"Alright, then let the hunger begin!"

Etna held the PokéPuff in front of Gurkinn, allowing him to take a bite. Within seconds of swallowing, Gurkinn started to pull against the straps. "I want more of them! Let me go!"

"You heard what he said before," Etna called. "Don't listen to him!"

Lucario quickly brought up the scanner and pointed it at Gurkinn. " _Lucar._ "

"It's done," Tristan said grimly. "Now all we have to do is wait..."

* * *

After a short walk, Camille and the woman, whose name she revealed was Malva, arrived at a small house on the edge of a cliff. As Malva opened the door, a Fennekin bounded up to her, wagging its tail. " _Fennekin!_ "

" _Hound,_ " barked Houndoom with a smile.

Fennekin then looked over at Camille and ran up to her, rubbing its head on her leg.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Camille cried.

"Oh, don't worry about Fennekin," Malva laughed. "She always does that when she meets someone new. She's very inquisitive."

"Is she your Pokémon?"

"Oh no, she just showed up outside my door one day," Malva replied, picking Fennekin. "And she's been visiting me ever since, probably to hang out with my Fire Pokemon. Come inside, and I'll make some tea."

Malva went into the kitchen, leaving Camille to wait in the lounge. Houndoom settled down in the corner and Fennekin hopped up onto the sofa, curling up into a ball. Camille took a moment to look around the room. Her eyes fell upon a group of framed photos on the coffee table and she picked one up, her blood running cold as she saw it. The picture showed Malva standing next to a younger woman with red and pink hair dressed in an orange kimono.

At that moment, Malva came back in, carrying a teapot and two cups on a red tray. "I'm back." As she set the tea down, she noticed Camille holding the picture. "That's me and my niece, Etna, at the Pokémon League two years ago. She made it to the final four that year. I was so proud of her. I imagine you've seen her in your travels?"

"Yeah, we've met," Camille said in a small voice.

Malva saw the tears forming in her eyes and her face became grim. "Oh, I see."

"I didn't even know she had any relatives," Camille sniffed, replacing the photo. "I'm so sorry."

"Please sit down, there's something I must tell you."

Once Camille was seated, Malva began her story. "When I asked you, you said that you wouldn't understand what was wrong. But after hearing your story, I can say that you were wrong. There was a time when I was in your shoes once."

"What do you mean?" Camille asked.

In response, Malva picked up another photo. "A few years ago, I was a news reporter on the Holo Caster when I was approached by some people. They wanted me to broadcast an urgent report to the citizens of Kalos, urging them to join their team and prevent a terrible fate on them. This picture is of me and their leader"

She then gave Camille the photo to look at. It showed Malva shaking hands with a pale red-haired man dressed in a dark suit. She recognized the man from an old news report she saw. "Lysandre, of Team Flare?"

"Yes, but back then, I didn't know of his plans. It was only after the theft at the Poké Ball Factory that he invited me to join him at his labs. He told me that he wanted to use the Ultimate Weapon to rebuild the world by wiping out all that was impure. He wanted me to stay as a reward for broadcasting his message."

"What made you change your mind?" Camille asked.

"My niece. She'd been traveling around Kalos taking part in the Gym Challenges," Malva explained. "But she and her friends had heard about Team Flare's plans and tried to invade the labs under Flare Cafe. I watched on the hidden surveillance as Etna and Callum fought with Lysandre and tried to deactivate the Weapon. Seeing her fight for the sake of Kalos made me realize that what I did was wrong."

She stood up and looked out of the window. "At Geosenge Town, I was furious at Lysandre's callousness towards people and Pokémon outside Team Flare. So while he was distracted with fighting Etna, Callum and Serena, I went downstairs to the core of the Weapon and revived Yveltal, freeing it from its Cocoon. Unfortunately, Lysandre's Executives caught me in the act and threatened to kill me. That was when Etna found me and saved my life. We managed to escape just before Lysandre tried to use the Weapon against us, ultimately ending Team Flare for good."

"Gosh," Camille breathed.

"After that, I was afraid that Etna would never forgive me for everything I did. And you know what she said to me?" Malva paused to take a sip of tea. "She said that not everyone will forgive me for the things I did to them, but what matters is that someone will always be there for you, especially those who are close to you." She looked over to Camille. "That's why I asked you to come here because you obviously can't forgive yourself even when someone does."

Camille sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye. "You're right. Santos was willing to forgive me. Maybe I can move on from this. But I'm not ready to go back to my friends yet."

"That's fine. Take as much time as you need."

Fennekin jumped into Camille's lap and looked up at her. " _Fenne, fennekin._ "

Malva smiled and laughed. "I think she likes you."

Camille said nothing but she petted Fennekin's head. "I think it's time I made a fresh start..."

* * *

In a cloud of smoke, Sharphound appeared in an alleyway at Shalour City. He stepped out and approached the PokéPuff stall with a smile. "So how did the sale go?"

"Quite well, sir," the salesman replied. "Every single PokePuff has been taken and consumed. By now, half the city should be weakened by their own weight, thanks to my special saliva."

"Good," Sharphound smiled. "Then it's time to initiate the second step."

With a nod, the salesman's body shimmered and flashed. Within seconds, the salesman had been replaced by a Lickilicky creature that had the head of a Slurpuff. He took a deep sniff of the air. "Mmm, I can smell the life force still abound in the city."

"And it shall all be ours, Lickinslurp," Sharphound promised. "Now go out there and trap them all!"

* * *

Tristan paced around the room, his hands over his ears to drown out the starving moans. Rafi was straining against the straps while Electra tried to chew hers off. Gurkinn's face was beaded with sweat as he tried to break loose.

"It's been half an hour," Marianne sighed. "We should have had something by now!"

"At least Yvestros hasn't decided to attack us yet," Quinn replied.

At that moment, Lucario looked around. " _Lucar, lucar!_ "

"What is it, Lucario?" Tristan cried.

Lucario placed his paw on the scanner and the computer switched on, this time showing a Lickilicky-Slurpuff monster roaming the streets, attacking anyone who hadn't eaten the PokéPuffs.

"I had to jinx it, didn't I?" Quinn sighed.

"That's the same street where the PokéPuffs were being sold," Etna realized.

"Pretty unusual coincidence," Tristan replied. "I think we'd better stop him."

"Go, you three," Etna ordered. "Lucario and I will stay here and wait for the scans to come through."

As Lucario set the coordinates of the Transportation Door, Tristan, Marianne, and Quinn activated their Morphers. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The elements of Fire, Water, and Grass burst out of their Morphers and crashed onto their bodies, forming their armor.

"Let's go!" Tristan called, leading the way through the Door.

* * *

Lickinslurp stomped up to a Cafe, terrifying the visitors inside. He then lashed out his tongue, sending a spray of drool over the visitors.

"Stay where you are!" he yelled. "Nobody leaves until my Lord is done with you."

"Hey, tall, pink and gruesome! Didn't your mother ever tell you not to stick your tongue out at anyone?"

Lickinslurp spun around and saw Tristan, Marianne, and Quinn standing in the street, Blasters at the ready. "Well, well, the Knights of Order. What a delightful surprise. But aren't you missing two of you? Could they perhaps have fallen for my delicious treats?"

"That was you?" Marianne snapped.

"Yep! Now half the city is incapacitated, and Yvestros will be able to drain their life-force entirely."

"Not on our watch!" Quinn yelled.

"Fire!" Tristan yelled.

The Knights fired their Blasters, pelting Lickinslurp's body with their elemental shots. The Poké-Mutant stumbled out of the cafe in pain.

"That's it! Prepare to get licked!" With that, he whipped out his long tongue at them.

"Look out!" Tristan yelled, diving to one side.

Marianne and Quinn jumped away, just avoiding Lickinslurp's tongue as it crashed onto the pavement. A large drop of drool flew off from the tongue and splashed onto Quinn's legs.

"Let's get him!" Tristan cried, jumping to his feet.

As Marianne did the same, Quinn struggled to get up, but he couldn't move his legs. "What's going on? I can't get up!"

"Let me help you." Tristan put his hand on the drool on Quinn's legs, intending to wipe it off. But his hand got stuck there and it took a lot of effort to pull it off again. "Ergh, that drool's stronger than glue."

Marianne looked at the visitors in the cafe. "They're trapped too!"

Lickinslurp gave a nasty laugh then lashed his tongue out again, wrapping it around Tristan and pulling him away. "And before long, you will all face a sticky end!"

* * *

Etna went over to the medical scanner, examining the results of Gurkinn's brain scan. "Aha, so that's how it works. The mind has been tuned to think only of eating those PokéPuffs."

"Etna!" Gurkinn hissed deeply. "You've got to untie me right now!"

"No way! You made me promise not to let you go no matter what."

Gurkinn clenched his fist tightly. "Unless you release these straps right now, so help me, I will rip you to pieces!"

"This isn't you talking, Gurkinn," Etna snapped. "It's those PokéPuffs! Now snap out of it. The Knights of Order need you to lead them into battle. And for that, you need to focus on something other than eating!"

"You're right!" Gurkinn closed his eyes tight. "I've got to stop thinking of those treats! Must... stop... eating..."

Lucario pulled Etna back as Gurkinn started to struggle again. Just then, his body began to glow yellow and he gave an angry yell. Finally, he fell back against the bed, panting for breath.

"Gurkinn?" Etna asked, stepping closer. "How do you feel?"

Gurkinn slowly opened his eyes. "I no longer feel hungry if that's what you mean. You can let me go now."

"Great." Etna quickly untied him. "Now can that sort of thinking work on Rafi and Electra?"

"Only one way to find out." Gurkinn got up and went over to the other Knights. "Listen up, you two!"

Electra and Rafi stopped struggling and looked at him.

"I know you think we're restraining you against your will, but we did this for your own good." Gurkinn folded his arms. "Your mind should not be focused on food, but on protecting Kalos. Right now, your friends are out there fighting another one of Yvestros' monsters, but they can't do this without you two. Isn't that more important than a bunch of PokéPuffs? Now focus on that instead, and that's an order!"

A yellow glow surrounded Rafi and Electra as they closed their eyes and gritted their teeth. Then they fell back on the beds, shaking their heads.

"Ohhh, man," Electra groaned. "That was nuts."

"My stomach hurts," Rafi moaned.

"Probably a side effect of eating too many PokéPuffs," Gurkinn replied as he and Etna untied them.

"Well, that salesman's gonna pay for ruining my figure!" Electra snapped.

"As it turns out, that salesman might actually be a Poké-Mutant," Etna replied. "You'd better get out there and help your friends."

"I'll come with you this time," Gurkinn said, raising his Morpher. "Let's go work up a proper appetite!"

* * *

Tristan struggled and strained, but he couldn't pull himself out of Lickinslurp's tongue. "Let me go!"

"We've got to do something!" Marianne cried.

"How?" Quinn asked. "I'm still stuck to the ground."

"I've got an idea," Marianne said, holding out her hands. "Weapons of Order, engage!"

Seconds later, the Water Cannon appeared in her hands while Quinn found himself holding his Leaf Dirks.

"These won't be useful while I'm stuck," Quinn sighed.

Marianne smiled under her helmet. "But you can still throw them."

"Oh, I get it!" Taking careful aim, Quinn raised one arm and hurled his Dirk at Lickinslurp. As the dagger embedded itself in his leg, Lickinslurp gave a cry of pain, losing his grip and dropping the drool-soaked Tristan.

As Marianne raised her Cannon to attack, Lickinslurp growled in anger. "You're gonna regret that. Energy Ball!"

He summoned a glowing green ball in his hands and threw it out. Marianne cried out as the ball hit her and threw her against the wall. She fell to the ground, her armor sparking from the super effective attack.

"Marianne!" Tristan yelled, unable to get up.

Lickinslurp laughed as he approached Marianne. "Prepare to get licked!"

"Save some fight for the rest of us!"

As Lickinslurp started to turn around, a Feather Arrow flew out and struck him in the tongue, making him cry out in pain and stumble away from Marianne.

"What's the matter, big guy? Arrow got your tongue?" Gurkinn joked as he, Rafi and Electra ran up, fully morphed and wielding their weapons.

"Guys! You're okay!" Marianne cheered, jumping to her feet.

Quinn looked over at Electra's stomach poking through her armor and Rafi's bulky form barely fitting his costume. "If you can call that okay."

"We'll worry about that later," Gurkinn replied. "Right now, we need to help Tristan and Quinn and these people. Your Water Cannon should wash away the saliva and undo the paralysis."

Just then, Lickinslurp charged in again. Electra raised her Hammer. "Go for it, Marianne. We'll hold him off."

"Here goes." Marianne pulled the trigger and fired a stream of water out, hosing down Tristan and Quinn before turning her aim on the cafe patrons.

Tristan was quickly on his feet, shaking the water off. "Thanks for that."

"Feels good to move again," Quinn agreed, getting up too.

Marianne watched the patrons looking around confused. "Don't worry, we'll handle this freak."

At that point, Lickinslurp lashed out his tongue again. Gurkinn jumped aside and swung his Claw Blades round, slicing through the tongue. The Poké-Mutant gave another agonized scream, clutching at his mouth.

"Now we've got him!" Gurkinn shouted. "Let's form the Justice Blaster!"

"Water Cannon!" Marianne held her weapon out.

"Feather Bow!" Rafi stuck his weapon underneath the Blaster.

"Leaf Dirks!" Quinn stuck his daggers on either side of the barrel.

"Thunder Hammer!" Electra stuck her weapon at the back.

"Fire Sword!" Tristan put his sword on top of the Blaster.

"Claw Blades!" Gurkinn locked his blades at the base of the Bow. The tip of the sword opened up, as did Electra's hammer and Quinn's daggers, forming extra barrels.

"Justice Cannon, active!" Gurkinn cried, holding up the weapon as the other Knights ran behind him. "Fire!"

Pulling the trigger, Gurkinn unleashed a powerful blast of rainbow energy that slammed into Lickinslurp who gave a muffled cry of pain as he fell to the ground and exploded.

The instant he died, Electra and Rafi's bodies began to sparkle. The others watched in amazement as Electra's stomach shrank back under her armor and Rafi's weight melted back to his original build.

"Oh brilliant!" Tristan cheered. "You're back to normal now."

"Best weight-loss program ever!" Electra cried.

* * *

"My Lord, Lickinslurp's been destroyed," Sharphound shouted. "The Spydoves are showing that everybody that ate his PokéPuffs is returning to normal."

"Those rotten Knights!" Yvestros snapped. "Mothitelle, get out there and sort this out!"

"On my way, Lord Yvestros!" Mothitelle replied, vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

"Glad that's been fixed," Rafi said. "My armor was starting to get tight."

Right on cue, Mothitelle appeared overhead. "Things are about to get even tighter when I'm done here. Power Spore!"

She flew over to Lickinslurp's body and sprinkled her spore over him. With a roar, he got to his feet, growing over thirty times his size.

"Here we go again," Tristan sighed, pressing his button. "Release the PokéZords!"

Within seconds, the Transportation Door appeared and the PokéZords appeared on the edge of town.

"Good luck, you guys," Gurkinn called, running back through the Door.

The rest of the Knights ran to their Zords. Beams of light shot out from the cockpits, transporting them inside the machines.

"Time to get serious," Tristan cried, slamming his hand on the red button. "Megazord of Justice transformation, activate!"

Each PokéZord flashed white as the command was issued. First, the Blaziken Zord jumped into the air, its arms folding back into its body. At the same time, the Blastoise Zord withdrew its head and limbs into its shell, which opened up on the front and fused over the Blaziken Zord's body, creating the main torso.

Next, the Sceptile and Ampharos Zords lay down on their stomachs and folded in their limbs and tails as they straightened up, the heads resting on their chests. The bottom half joined onto the main torso, forming the legs.

Then, the Pidgeot Zord took to the air, its head and tail folding into its body which then split in half. Each half then joined to either side of the torso upside down, so that the legs formed the arms, while the wings folded over the front of the torso. The completed MegaZord landed on the ground, the Blaziken's beak opening up to reveal a more humanoid face.

"Megazord of Justice, ready!" the Knights yelled in the main cockpit as the robot raised its arms.

"It's licking time!" Lickinslurp yelled, lashing out his tongue.

"Watch out!" Rafi yelled, throwing his joystick out.

In one swift movement, the Megazord grabbed hold of Lickinslurp's tongue, yanking him forward before wrapping him up like a present.

"Time to take you for a little spin!" Rafi cried, pulling his stick back.

The MegaZord pulled the tongue again, spinning Lickinslurp round and round like a top. When he stopped spinning, he stumbled back dizzily.

"Now, while he's distracted," Tristan cried. "Mega Sword, engage!"

The Sword materialized in the Megazord's hands.

"It's your turn to get licked!" Tristan shouted, throwing his stick forward. "Order Slash!"

The MegaZord charged forward and swung its glowing sword around, cutting through Lickinslurp, instantly taking the Poké-Mutant out.

"Oh yeah!" Electra cheered, high-fiving Rafi.

* * *

"Damn them all!" Yvestros yelled, slamming his fist on the throne.

Sabelteur quickly retreated to his lab to avoid his wrath again.

* * *

Rafi took a mouthful of Etna's stew, savoring the taste. "Mmmm, it's good to eat something other than those PokéPuffs."

"You said it," Electra replied, petting her Pikachu's head. "Glad to see our Pokémon back to normal too."

"That reminds me." Etna took out the bag of PokéPuffs and threw them at Delphox's feet. "Incinerate, please."

Delphox raised her branch and blew out a stream of fire, burning the bag into ashes in seconds.

"There, that's the last we'll see of those things," Etna declared.

"Good thing too," Marianne replied.

"So, Tristan, you managed to get your Rumble Badge, huh?" Electra asked.

"Yep." Tristan took out his Badge case and opened it. "Check it out."

"Awesome!" Rafi cried. "And tomorrow, I'll get mine too. I'm sure I can get it after a little more training."

"I think your Pokemon are all set to go," Tristan said. "I know you can beat Korrina!"

* * *

As Camille left the house, Malva saw her out. "What will you do now?"

"Well, once I get to Coumarine City, I'll change my team around and challenge the Gym Leader there," Camille replied. "I'd like to have a fresh start in my life."

"Good to hear," Malva beamed.

Just then, Fennekin came bounding out the door, stopping at Camille's feet. " _Fennekin, fennekin._ "

"It looks like Fennekin has taken quite a shine to you," Malva chuckled. "I think she wants to come with you."

Camille knelt down to look into Fennekin's eyes. "Is that true? Do you want to come with me and help me in my Gym Battles?"

Fennekin smiled and wagged her tail. " _Fenne, fennekin!_ "

Smiling too, Camille picked her up and set her on her shoulder. "Okay then, let's go!" She turned and waved at Malva. "Thanks for everything!"

"Good luck in the rest of your journey, Camille!" Malva called, waving back. "And if you ever see Etna again, let her know that I'm safe and sound!"

"I will!" Camille promised.

With that, Camille turned and set off down the road, with a new friend on her team and a burden lifted from her heart...

* * *

 **And with that, this chapter comes to an end.**

 **I just want to quickly say that updates will not be as frequent as the start, now that I'm working on Beginnings of Adventure. But I will do my best to get a chapter out as best I can. But thank you for being patient with me and not nagging me about it.**

 **Until then, see you round.**


	22. Double Rising, Part One

**Before this chapter starts, I feel that I should mention that the story will take its inspiration from both the anime and the games. But don't expect Ash Ketchum to make an appearance.**

* * *

 _Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _While Tristan battled Korrina for the Rumble Badge, Electra and Rafi were stricken by a spell that made them continuously eat PokePuffs, as part of a ploy by Sabelteur's latest monster, Lickinslurp. In an attempt to cure them, Gurkinn ate one of the PokePuffs to determine their spell while Tristan, Marianne and Quinn went to battle Lickinslurp. Though they struggled at first, Gurkinn managed to cure himself, Rafi and Electra through sheer force of will and came to help the others destroy Lickinslurp._

 _Meanwhile, Camille ran into Etna's aunt, Malva, who told her all about her service with Team Flare, teaching Camille to forgive herself for her actions while working for Yvestros. With her heart unburdened by the guilt, Camille set off on her journey with a new Fennekin on her team..._

* * *

Chapter 21: Double Rising, Part One

Out in the middle of the ocean, 50 miles from the coast of Ambrette Town lies a small island that houses Falcatrax Prison, where some of the world's most ruthless Pokémon Poachers are locked away for their crimes. The prison was said to be one of the most secure prisons ever built...

It was approaching midnight at Falcatrax Prison. The guards patrolled the grounds and the yard, shining their lights around, Growlithe and Mightyena strolling at their sides.

On the northern side of the prison, two lone guards marched by the wall, keeping a lookout for any signs of trouble. Then one of the guards spotted something in the night sky. "Hey, what's that?"

The other guard looked up to see a large dark shape flying towards the prison. "It looks like a Salamence," she replied. "But who's that on its back?"

The figure on the Salamence was a middle-aged woman with blue-gray hair dressed in a red uniform under a heavy dark purple coat that had one long sleeve. She wore a shiny visor over her eyes and a strange metal device on her wrist.

As the Salamence drew closer to the prison, the guard who spotted them first pulled out his radio. "Unknown trainer has been spotted near the northern wall. Take all caution, over."

The other guard took a step forward. "Ma'am, your Pokémon is in a no-fly zone. Please turn around and leave now, or we will send our-"

Before she could finish, the woman raised her device and fired a spray of golden liquid from the device on her arm. The liquid coated the unfortunate guard, turning her body to stone.

With a gasp, the other guard raised his radio to his mouth. "All units, we're under attack! Evacuate the prison at once!" Before he could continue, he was also hit by the liquid and turned to stone too.

The woman then turned to the prison and scanned it with her visor. Then she looked at her Salamence. "Fly me up to the second middle cell from the left."

Salamence flew up to the cell and the woman looked through the bars at the prisoner stirring from the activity. "Celosia, I presume?"

"Who wants to know?" Celosia asked, looking up from her bed.

"Your boss sent me to liberate you," the woman replied. "Stand back and I'll break through this wall."

Celosia quickly jumped back and the woman commanded, "Salamence, Hyper Beam!"

Salamence opened its mouth and fired a beam of light at the wall, blowing it up in an instant. Once the dust settled, the woman held out her hand. "Come with me."

Celosia jumped onto Salamence's back and the Dragon Pokémon turned and flew away from the prison. "Won't the guards try to stop us?"

"If there are any survivors," the woman replied.

Before Celosia could ask what she meant, a massive beam of light shot out from the clouds and slammed into the prison. The woman didn't even look round as Falcatrax was obliterated almost instantly...

* * *

 _No one dared to speak as they made their way through the cave, the only sounds being the occasional drips of water off the tips of the stalactites. The leader glanced over his shoulder every now and then, checking for any signs of danger._

" _Slow down here," he told the others. "I think we've lost them."_

 _At that moment, the cave ceiling exploded in a cloud of rock and dust. They dived out of the way as two towering figures descended into the cave, their eyes glowing in the darkness._

" _They've found us!" the leader gasped._

" _Did you really think you could escape us, Knights of Order?" roared the figure with red eyes. "Our Lord demands your destruction!"_

" _Do not be frightened," said the other figure with blue eyes. "Your deaths will come quickly, just like the others before you."_

 _One of the humans stepped forward, the light shining down on her icy blue armor. "You don't scare us! We'll stop you and your ruthless master!"_

" _Never!" yelled the first figure. "Lord Yvestros will never be stopped! Bolt Strike!"_

 _The figure's hands glowed blue and it fired streams of electricity at the lone human._

" _Look out!" The leader jumped in at the last second, pushing his friend out of the way. The lightning surged through his body, throwing him against the wall. Immediately, the other Knights_

 _Seeing him fall, she stood up and glared at the taller figures. "Get out of here, guys! I'll deal with them."_

" _No," the leader gasped, his body shaking with the paralysis. "You can't handle them alone!"_

" _I have to," she replied, her hands glowing with icy blue light. "They're part Dragon after all. And who else can defeat a Dragon than an Ice Knight? Now go!"_

 _The other Knights grabbed their leader and set off down the cave, moments before a blinding flash of light flooded the whole place..._

With a gasp, Gurkinn jerked awake, sitting up in his bed. His whole body was covered in sweat as he panted for breath.

The door opened then and Korrina peeked inside, a look of concern on her face. "Grandpa, are you okay? I heard you moaning."

"Yes, I'm fine," Gurkinn sighed. "Just a bad dream, is all."

"Well, nothing a little meditation can't sort out," Korrina beamed. "Anyway, I'd better get going. I need to train up my team for my Gym battle with Rafi."

"Yes, of course. I haven't forgotten. You go on ahead, my dear. I have a lot to consider."

"Okay, see you later, Grandpa!" With a final wave, Korrina left the room.

Alone again, Gurkinn sat back in bed, thinking about the dream he had. It had been a long time since he'd had those dreams, reliving his past life, but the sudden return could only mean one thing. "Something bad's going to happen, I can feel it..."

* * *

"This almost defies any logic!" Looker cried, watching the news report the next morning. "Falcatrax Prison burnt to the ground, fifteen guards and twelve prisoners dead, and no evidence pointing to the culprit."

Santos just looked at the TV. "Wasn't that the same prison where we locked up Celosia?"

"Yes, but her body was not among the dead, nor was she with the prisoners that were evacuated," Looker replied. "If I have to guess, I'd say the prison was destroyed to cover up a jail break."

"You think that Team Flare was behind this?"

"Maybe," Looker said. "But even they wouldn't have the firepower necessary to destroy such a prison in one go."

At that moment, a teenage girl came into the office followed by an Espurr. "Good morning, Mr. Looker, Santos."

"Morning, Emma!" Santos beamed. "And you too, Mimi."

" _Purr,_ " said the Espurr upon hearing her name.

Despite the terrible news on the TV, Santos couldn't help but smile. He'd first met Emma and Mimi on his very first case with the Looker Bureau, investigating the suspicious activities of children hanging around the alleys of Lumiose City. Upon learning that Emma was an orphan, Looker invited her to stay at his offices to work as his assistant. Mimi took a lot more coaxing because she was afraid of adults, but Santos was able to gain her trust and she came to stay with Emma.

"Is anything wrong?" Emma asked.

"Nothing my fully fledged, completely boiled detective Santos can't investigate," Looker replied.

"But what about my other case, hunting down the other Team Flare scientists?" Santos asked.

"Find where they are, we'll find Celosia," Looker said. "Now head on out to the prison and find out what you can from the wreckage."

"Yes, sir," Santos cried as he set off out the office.

* * *

For a long while, Camille just stood on the edge of the cliffs, watching the monorail driving across the fields. The cliffs she stood on overlooked her destination, Courmarine City. The tiny town nestled by the shores of the ocean that sparkled like a sapphire under the sun. At her side, Fennekin and Eevee gazed around their new surroundings through the fence.

"Well, guys, we made it to the next city," Camille said. "Our next badge awaits us down there."

Fennekin turned to look at Camille. " _Fenne, fennekin._ "

"I know you're nervous about our next Gym," Camille replied. "But don't worry. We'll get that next badge before you know it."

"Pardon me, missy."

Camille turned at that voice and saw a Gogoat coming towards her. On the back of the Gogoat was an old man wearing a green button shirt, gray pants, and green boots. A green cap was perched on his head, an orange scarf around his neck and a pair of gardening scissors hung from his belt.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," the old man went on with a cheery smile. "Did I hear you say you wish to take on the Gym Leader of this city?"

"That's right," Camille replied. "Do you know where it is?"

"Oh, I certainly do," the man said. "But it's better to do so by Gogoat than by foot. Would you happen to have a Gogoat on you?"

"Yes, I do." Camille took out a Great Ball. "Gogoat, come on out."

In a flash of light, her Gogoat appeared, shaking his head. Camille picked up Fennekin and Eevee, placed them on each shoulder then climbed onto her Gogoat's back.

The old man nodded slowly. "Okay then, follow me."

* * *

"Mienfoo, High Jump Kick!" Korrina yelled.

At her command, Mienfoo jumped towards Archie, its knee bent and glowing.

"Dodge it quickly!" Rafi called.

Archie scuttled under Mienfoo, narrowly missing the attack. With no target to hit, Mienfoo landed on the ground, badly hurting itself.

"That's it, Rafi!" Tristan called from the stands. "Now's your chance."

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky cried.

" _Chespin!_ " Spiky added.

"Okay, Archie, let's go for Acrobatics!" Rafi called.

Archie scampered towards Mienfoo, gaining speed, and swooped around in a circle, striking the Fighting Pokémon hard. Mienfoo was thrown back against the ground, taken out by the super-effective attack.

"Mienfoo is unable to battle!" the judge announced. "Archen is the winner."

"Yeah, way to go, Archie!" Rafi cheered.

Etna smiled as she watched Korrina recalling Mienfoo. "All that training has definitely paid off."

"He's making good progress, that's for sure," Electra added. "But let's see how it goes from there."

* * *

High above the skies of Kalos, a massive airship soared towards its destination, hidden from view by the clouds. The ship had a shape not unlike that of a plane, except it had four engines at the back and two large cannons on the front. Red lights on its wings shone out through the clouds, pointing out any obstacles to avoid.

On board the ship, Celosia stood next to the woman who'd freed her, watching the screen switch on. The image showed a man she instantly recognized; a pale man with orange hair cut into the Team Flare symbol, wearing a pair of orange goggles, an orange suit and tie, and a rubber glove on his left hand.

"Xerosic here," the man stated.

"Sir, I've rescued Celosia as you asked," the woman replied. "And I've destroyed any chance of being tailed."

"Excellent work, Hunter J," Xerosic beamed. "Hiring you was such a good idea after all."

"Where shall I deliver her?" J asked.

"I'll send you the coordinates to Frost Cavern," Xerosic answered. "I have a research team out there, investigating a discovery we found a few weeks ago. I don't expect you to ask what we're doing out there, do we?"

"Not at all, sir," J replied. "All that matters is that I fulfilled my end of the bargain."

"Of course. I'll send your payment to you in due course. If ever I need you again, I'll let you know. Xerosic out."

As the screen switched off, J turned to Celosia. "We have some time to kill before we get there. Would you like to meet the crew?"

Celosia followed J down the passage of the ship. After a while, they stopped at one room where three white-haired men dressed in black were battling two women and a man wearing gray uniforms. In the middle of the arena, an Absol charged into a Purugly, an Accelgor avoided the claw of a Toxicroak and a Banette was using Shadow Claw on a Skuntank. The battle was being spectated by an older man with spiky green-blue hair in a white suit.

"How goes the training, Proton?" J asked the older man.

"Just fine, ma'am," Proton replied. "As you can see, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are holding their own against the Shadow Triad. And who is this with you?"

"This is Celosia," J said. "She's the reason Team Flare hired us." She turned to Celosia. "Each member of my crew was once part of other teams like you. Proton here was from Team Rocket..." She pointed at the three gray uniformed people. "Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn here were part of Team Galactic, and the Shadow Triad used to work for Team Plasma."

Then a red-haired woman in a white coat approached J and Celosia. "We're almost at Frost Caverns, ma'am."

"Thank you, Ariana," J replied, turning to Celosia. "Come with me."

They went further down the passage until they reached a row of doors. "You can use one of our escape pods to reach the rest of your team."

Celosia didn't reply, she simply opened a door and stepped inside. J activated the controls, jettisoning the pod towards its destination...

* * *

Compared to fighting Mienfoo, Rafi was finding Machoke a tougher opponent. Archie had held on as much as he could, but Machoke took him out with its Focus Blast. Now Rafi had sent out Orville to balance the match.

"Orville, Wing Attack!" Rafi commanded.

Taking to the air, Orville flew at Machoke, wings ready to strike.

"Counter it with Karate Chop!" Korrina shouted.

Machoke raised his hand and swung it out, blocking Orville's attack.

"Good work!" Korrina cried. "Now let's end this with Focus Blast!"

Machoke began to summon a glowing ball in his hands.

"Orville, go for Aerial Ace!" Rafi called.

Orville swept low across the ground then flew straight at Machoke just before he could throw his Focus Blast. The attacks struck in the middle, creating a massive explosion that covered the arena.

"Oh no!" Rafi gasped. "Orville!"

"Machoke, are you okay?" Korrina called.

Eventually, the smoke cleared away, revealing Machoke and Orville lying motionless on the ground.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle!" the judge announced. "This match is a draw."

Etna and the others were shocked at the sight before them.

"Didn't see that coming at all," Quinn breathed.

"It comes down to this last round," Tristan said. "But who will Rafi choose to battle Hawlucha?"

As Korrina called out her last Pokémon, Rafi seemed a little indecisive at first before glancing up at his friends. Marianne looked over at him with a smile and nodded.

With a nod back, Rafi took out his Poké Ball. "I won't let this battle bring me down. It's time to take things up a notch! Claude, let's go for it!"

In a flash of light, Claude appeared before Hawlucha, snapping his pincers in anticipation.

"Claude?" Tristan gasped. "Is Rafi mad? Hawlucha's gonna pound him completely!"

"Don't dismiss him yet," Marianne cut in. "I helped Rafi teach him a good strategy for this battle. Let's watch."

"Hawlucha, let's go for Flying Press!" Korrina commanded.

Hawlucha jumped into the sky and swooped towards Claude.

"Dodge it quickly!" Rafi shouted.

At the last second, Claude curled up into a ball and rolled away. With no target in sight, Hawlucha crashed into the ground.

"Hang in there," Korrina called. "Karate Chop!"

Jumping to his feet, Hawlucha swung his hand out at Claude.

"Grab it with Vice Grip!" Rafi yelled.

Claude hopped up and clenched his pincers tightly on Hawlucha's arm. Hawlucha jumped back and tried to shake Claude off, but the Water Pokemon could not be dislodged.

"You have him now, Rafi!" Marianne called.

Rafi smiled. "Alright, Claude, let's go for Crabhammer!"

Claude raised his larger pincer, which began to glow blue, and swung it around, smacking Hawlucha in the face and sending him flying back.

"And finish with Aqua Jet!"

" _Clauuunch!_ " Claude's body was surrounded by water and he charged straight as an arrow right into Hawlucha, throwing him out of the arena. Korrina gasped as Hawlucha crashed into the wall of the Gym, the impact knocking it out.

"Hawlucha is unable to battle!" the judge declared. "The winner of the match is Raphael from Petalburg City!"

"Yes!" Rafi shouted in delight, grabbing Claude in a hug. "We did it, buddy!"

"Wow, that was amazing!" Tristan cheered.

" _Mincci!_ " Lucky cried, throwing her paw in the air.

" _Chespin!_ " Spiky yelled.

"I knew it would work," Marianne beamed. "Using Vice Grip right when Hawlucha was about to strike canceled out the Karate Chop as well as keeping Claude in range for Crabhammer to deliver an effective blow."

"Good planning there," Electra said.

The Rangers watched with pride as Rafi collected the Rumble Badge, making him one step closer to entering the Kalos League...

* * *

As Camille followed the old man through Courmarine City, she started to grow impatient. The old man was driving his Gogoat at walking pace, barely overtaking any pedestrians that walked past them.

"Hey, mister!" Camille called. "How much longer until we reach the Gym?"

"We probably only have a few miles to go," he replied. "But why the rush, my dear? Let's just take it slow and enjoy the scenery."

But as he was finishing his answer, Camille had decided that enough was enough. "Speed up, Gogoat!" she yelled, digging her heels into the Pokemon's side.

With a loud bleat, her Gogoat took off down the path, kicking up dust as it ran. Fennekin and Eevee clung onto Gogoat's leafy ruff, trying not to get thrown off.

In a matter of seconds, Camille had reached a path on the cliff, leading towards a giant tree. But she also saw a Chespin bounding out of the bushes onto the road. "Stop, Gogoat!" she screamed, gripping Gogoat's horns tight.

Sensing its trainer's urgency in her grip, Gogoat dug in its hooves and skidded to an abrupt halt. Camille was thrown off its back, tumbling over the Chespin's head and landing with a hard thud on the path. She tumbled end over end until she came to a stop by the trunk of the tree.

" _Eevee!_ "

" _Fennekin!_ "

Jumping off Gogoat's head, Eevee and Fennekin bounded over to Camille as she slowly sat up.

" _Fenne, fennekin?_ " asked Fennekin with some concern.

"Yes, I think so," Camille grunted, rubbing her head.

The next thing she knew, the Chespin ran over, looking very apologetic. " _Chespin, chespin._ "

"I think the little guy wants to say sorry," the old man called as he arrived on his Gogoat. "Though I don't see why he should be sorry. The way you were charging up the road like that, you were lucky not to hit him."

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to get to the Gym so badly," Camille muttered.

"Well, you have." The old man pointed at the tree. "This is the place right there."

Camille took a closer look at the tree, noticing the path carved into the root wrapped around its trunk which led up to the canopy. "This is the Gym?"

"Yep," the old man chuckled. "And if you had taken it slowly like I had done, I would have shown it to you easily. Sometimes, we need to take time in our journey to stop and smell the roses, to appreciate the beauty all around us."

"Wow," Camille breathed. "Well, thanks for taking me to the Gym, Mr..?"

"Ramos," the old man replied, lowering his arm to allow Chespin to climb up. "So, are you ready to take on the Gym Leader?"

"You bet!" Camille cried.

"Well then, meet you at the top of the tree!" Ramos called, as he galloped up the path. "Looking forward to having my battle with you, my dear!"

Camille's jaw dropped half a mile. "Wait, you're the Gym Leader?"

But by then, Ramos was too far to reply.

* * *

"There it is, Charizard!" Santos called, pointing at the island below. "That was Flacatrax Prison. Let's get in for a closer look!"

" _Charrr!_ " With a flap of his wings, Charizard swooped down towards the smoldering remains of the prison.

As he flew closer, Santos could see police officers combing the area. Once Charizard landed, Santos climbed off and went over to the Officer Jenny in charge.

"No civilians, please," she called.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help." He took out his ID and held it out. "Santos Greene, Looker Bureau."

Officer Jenny relaxed. "Very well. Come with me."

She led Santos over to a section of still standing wall. Santos was quick to spot two statues of guards standing in various positions. "I didn't know the prison was into lawn art."

"It's not," Officer Jenny replied grimly. "Those statues you see there used to be living human beings."

"What?!" Santos gasped.

"Just minutes before the prison was destroyed, they sent a message warning the other guards to evacuate the prisoners, thankfully saving a lot of lives," Jenny went on. "When we came this morning, these were the only things still standing. One of their colleagues were able to identify them, but as to why they're statues, we don't really know."

After closely examining the statues, Santos took some pictures with his camera to show Looker. "Thanks for the help, Officer Jenny," he said, getting back onto Charizard. "I'll see what we can do from here..."

* * *

Once the escape pod had landed, Celosia opened the door and found herself in a snow-covered plain. In the distance, she saw a herd of Bergmite following their Avalugg leader through the blizzard. Then two women dressed in red followed by a Weavile and a Bisharp came running up to her.

The first woman had short green hair and wore a pair of advanced green goggles over her eyes. The other had teal hair styled into pigtails on either side of her head and wore a high-tech visor on her eyes.

"Glad to see you're okay, Celosia," the green-haired woman said.

"You certainly have quite the flare for dramatic entrances," added the other woman.

"It's good to see you again, Bryony," Celosia beamed. "And you too, of course, Mable. Now, what's going on here? Xerosic said something about a discovery."

Bryony nodded. "Come with us and we'll show you."

She and Mable led Celosia toward a frost-covered mountain and down into a cave. Soon they reached a wide icy chamber where other members of Team Flare were gathered, scanning the main wall. A Swalot spat out an Acid Spray at the ice, dissolving a portion of ice, while a Houndoom melted through another part with its Flamethrower.

"A few weeks ago, our scanners picked up a wave of energy coming from this spot," Bryony explained. "At first, we thought it was that same Abomasnow that Mable investigated two years ago. But one of our scientists compared the reading to the ones they got from the more recent Poké-Mutant attacks and found that they were exactly the same."

"Our boss sent us here so that we could unearth the cause of that wave," Mable finished. "He believes that having them would lure Yvestros out of hiding so he could see the power of the so-called 'ruler of Kalos'."

At that moment, the Houndoom and Swalot suddenly stopped their attacks and backed away from the cave wall that was now obscured by vapor.

Bryony turned around. "Why have they stopped?"

"Ma'am, I think they've sensed that something's wrong," said one of the scientists with some concern. "Whatever's in the ice is scaring them."

By then, the vapor had cleared away and the Team Flare Admins could barely contain their gasps.

In a hole carved out by the acid and fire stood two humanoid figures about seven feet tall, their bodies frozen in the postures of combat. One figure had the head of a Reshiram, its blonde streaked hair flowing around its head like a halo, and wore a white dress and a golden collar around its neck. It also had the winged arms of Reshiram, spread out in a regal pose. The other figure had the head of Zekrom, its dark hair tied up in a ponytail, and was dressed in ebony armor. Its own arms, similar to a Zekrom's right down to the wings on its shoulders, were upraised as if about to strike some unseen opponent.

"Magnificent," Mable breathed. "Bring them to the surface at once."

* * *

Sabelteur sighed as he flicked through the images of his Spydoves. It had been two days since his last attempt at destroying the Knights of Order and nothing new had come to mind. Yvestros had been getting very impatient, but Sabelteur had done his best to avoid his gaze. Now he was looking for inspiration through his monitors.

Suddenly, he stopped flicking, his eyes lighting up for a moment. "Was that...?" He flicked back a few times before pausing on a shot. "It can't be..." He enhanced the image for a closer look and he gasped in delight. "Lord Yvestros!"

"What is it, Sabelteur?" Yvestros bellowed, bursting into the room with Sharphound and Mothitelle. "Have you thought of an idea yet?"

"Even better news than that." Sabelteur spun the computer screen round. "Take a looksy!"

Sharphound stared at the screen intently. "I just see a bunch of humans in red."

"Look closer."

Mothitelle's eyes widened as she spotted the frozen figures. "I don't believe it... It's them!"

"I thought they had been destroyed all those years ago," Sharphound breathed. "Could they still be alive?"

"We can't waste this opportunity!" Yvestros declared, clenching his fist. "Come, my Generals! With them back on our side, we might finally stand a chance against the Knights of Order!"

With a flap of his wings, Yvestros summoned a cloud of smoke, transporting his Generals away...

* * *

" _Lucar! Lucar! Lucario!_ "

Gurkinn snapped out of his meditation when he heard Lucario calling out and he spun round. "What's the matter? Did something terrible happen?"

In response, Lucario placed his paw on Gurkinn's shoulder and soon he found himself in a glowing blue vision. He was standing in the middle of a snowy plain, surrounded by scientists working on strange machines. Then he turned around and what he saw next made him gasp in horror.

Three women, including Celosia, were standing next to two massive figures, one shaped like Reshiram and the other like Zekrom.

"No!" Gurkinn gasped, his mind flashing back to his nightmare. "No no no no no, not them! Those fools don't know what they've done! Yvestros must not know about-"

It was at that moment, just before the vision ended, that he spotted a cloud of smoke starting to form by the figures.

Gurkinn's eyes flew open, back in the real world. "I've got to warn the others! Before it's too late!"

* * *

Bryony stared at the figures in amazement. If she hadn't been for her glasses, everyone would've seen her eyes gleaming. "Such magnificent beings..."

"Black and white," Celosia noted. "I read about them in my notes before that bounty hunter captured me."

"If that's true, is it really safe for us to have them here?" Mable asked nervously. "What's stopping them from springing to life and killing us?"

Before Bryony could answer, a cloud of black smoke materialized in front of the figures. Celosia gasped in shock. "Get back, quickly!"

As the scientists stared in horror, the three Admins ran from the figures and ducked behind some boulders... just as four sinister beings appeared from the smoke.

The largest being, the one that looked like Yveltal, stepped forward and spread his wings. "Humans! I, Lord Yvestros, Ruler of all Kalos, would like to thank you for locating our men!"

Celosia peeked out and looked at the Poké-Mutants. "It's him! And those other creatures, they must be the other Generals I read about."

Mable stood up and addressed the leader. "Lord Yvestros, it is such an honor that you have graced us with your presence. We, as the members of Team Flare-"

"Silence her, Sharphound!" Yvestros demanded.

"Flamethrower!" The Houndoom-Bisharp hybrid shot a stream of flame at his mouth. Mable quickly ducked out of the way, the flames narrowly singing her hair.

Yvestros then pointed at two scientists cowering by the cave entrance. "Mothitelle, Sabelteur, bring those humans over to me."

Mothitelle flew over, grabbed the scientists and brought them before her lord. Sabelteur forced them onto their knees. "Kneel before your king!"

"W-What are you gonna do to us?" one scientist stammered.

"You two have been given a great honor. With your life force, I will bring my Generals to life!" Yvestros raised his wings, pointing his finger-like feathers at the scientists. "Oblivion Wing!"

As the admins watched, red lightning bolts shot out from Yvestros' wings and struck the scientists, making them scream in pain. Celosia couldn't help but gasp as she saw their bodies turning hard as stone, their screams cutting off abruptly.

Yvestros then turned to the frozen figures and fired two beams of purple light from his eyes, bathing them in the rejuvenating glow. "A thousand years have passed since you fell in battle, but your Lord and Master has need of you once again, to conquer Kalos and destroy the Knights of Order. So arise, my loyal servants. Arise, Twin Generals! Arise... Resharma and Zekronos!"

All of a sudden, the two Poké-Mutants spread their arms wide, letting out terrifying roars that shook the earth. The Reshiram hybrid's hair glowed brightly and she launched a stream of flame from her mouth. At the same time, the Zekrom-mutant flashed blue and launched a bolt of lightning from his hands. The two attacks combined in midair, creating a massive explosion in the sky.

"Whoa! What power!" Bryony breathed.

The Twin Generals turned and bowed down to Yvestros. "My Lord, it is such a pleasure to see you again," Resharma said in a soft silvery voice. "Though our bodies were frozen, our minds were still active for a few years on. We feared that you had given us up for lost."

"Yes, such a long time had passed since then," Zekronos agreed in a deep gruff voice. "Has it really been a thousand years since our humiliating defeat?"

"I'm afraid so," Yvestros replied. "And not only that, but we are losing to the descendants of our most hated enemies, the Knights of Order."

"The Knights of Order!" Zekronos growled, his red eyes flashing with anger. "I'll never forgive them for trapping us in that ice! Especially that Ice Knight!"

"Cool your lightning for a moment," Sharphound retorted. "There are currently only six Knights in existence."

"Let us return to our lair," Yvestros said. "We will explain more about it there."

Summoning another cloud of smoke, he swept it over his Generals, transporting them away from the mountains.

"Incredible!" Bryony breathed as she and the other Admins came out of hiding. "Xerosic will be most impressed by this!"

* * *

By the time Korrina, Etna and the Knights had returned to the Tower, they found the entrance hall deserted and the secret entrance in the statue was wide open.

"Whatever Gurkinn called us for, it must be serious for him to close the Tower this early," Tristan realised. "Let's go find him."

They ran down the stairs and spotted Gurkinn sitting in front of the screen, Lucario standing by his side. He didn't turn around to look at them.

"Gurkinn, what's going on?" Quinn asked cautiously. "Your message sounded very urgent indeed."

With a sigh, Gurkinn bowed his head. "There's a lot of things I never told you about. You see me as an old man, looking after his beloved granddaughter, training her to be a strong Gym Leader, leading a valiant group of heroes against an ancient threat. You see a man of courage and fortitude and you think I've never been afraid. But the truth is, I can be scared. And nothing scares me more than what just happened now."

"What are you talking about?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah, you're making me very uncomfortable," Korrina agreed.

"Okay, but I should warn you. What you're about to face could be our greatest threat we've ever faced."

"Greater than Yvestros?" Rafi gasped.

" _Mincci?_ " Lucky asked, cocking her head to one side.

Gurkinn didn't reply. He simply switched on the computer screen, bringing up an image that made the others gasp.

"The image you're seeing came from Lucario's visions in the aura," Gurkinn replied.

"Wait a minute, I know those people," Etna cried. "They used to work for Team Flare!"

"Oh yeah," Electra replied. "Wait, isn't that Celosia? I thought Santos had her locked up!"

"But what about those two statues next to them?" Marianne asked.

"I'm afraid that they are not statues at all," Gurkinn answered grimly. "What you're seeing are Yvestros' most dangerous minions... Resharma and Zekronos, better known as... the Twin Generals!" He now turned to face the others. "And now that Yvestros has revived them once more, this could be the darkest hour for us all!"

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **And thus we begin the newest arc.**

 **Massive apologies for the delay. Writing these stories is getting quite difficult now, but D.J. Scales has been helping me out a lot and I thank him so much for the support.**

 **Please let me know if you have any other suggestions for the story. It really helps me a lot.**

 **Until then, see you when I can**


	23. Double Rising, Part Two

**No recap this time, as too many things happened in the last chapter for me to count.**

* * *

Chapter 22: Double Rising, Part Two

Tristan stepped closer to the screen, examining the monstrous figures closely. "What kind of Pokemon are they supposed to be anyway?"

"Reshiram and Zekrom," Marianne replied. "They're the Legendary Pokemon from Unova. I'd recognize them anywhere; Camille and I saw Zekrom under N's control when he helped us stop Neo Team Plasma."

"Wait a minute," Etna breathed, looking at the screen. "Black and white..." Her eyes widened in shock. "Celosia's notes! They mentioned two generals of Yvestros that embodied the spirits of black and white!"

"And that's who they are, aren't they, Gurkinn?" Quinn asked.

Gurkinn sighed and turned away. "Yes. But there is a lot more to them than you realize... Rangers, you remember that I told you that Yvestros could create mutants from humans and Pokemon?"

"Yeah," they all replied.

"What you see here were two of the very first humans to be transformed." Gurkinn looked back at the picture. "Back when the original Knights of Order were fighting back, Yvestros was running low on Poké-Mutants and he was getting desperate. So he sent Sharphound and Mothitelle out to kidnap a whole village to create a new army. Among them were a pair of identical twins, Arma and Kronos. Under Sabelteur's magic, their bodies took on the characteristics of the Legendary Pokémon of Black and White."

"That's awful," Rafi gasped.

"It gets worse. The twins were the only ones who were mutated from Legendary Pokémon DNA. After the transformation, their powers grew far beyond anything that the other Mutants could wield. Resharma could harness the powers of fire and heat, manipulating the temperatures to unbearable levels and creating massive infernos that could destroy entire forests. Zekronos gained the merciless powers of the storms, sending bolts of lightning that could demolish everything in their path."

"Yikes!" Electra gasped. "How did our ancestors stop them?"

"At first, they couldn't. Against such power, they barely stood a chance. One by one, Resharma and Zekronos hunted down and murdered each of the Knights. Those that survived tried to flee, but the Twin Generals were relentless." Gurkinn closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Eventually, they caught up with the Knights in a mountain cavern in the northern part of Kalos. It was there that the Ice Knight stood up to the Twin Generals, sacrificing herself to entomb them in a sheet of ice from which even Resharma's fire powers could not free them. That area is now known as the Frost Cavern, snowbound due to the Ice Knight's final attack."

While he was telling the story, Etna noticed tears running down Gurkinn's face, but she didn't say anything about it.

Tristan glanced back at the image. "If they're as powerful as you say they were, then we could be in big trouble."

"Hopefully, they're not at full power yet," Quinn replied, staring at the image once again.

* * *

In Yvestros' lair, the Twin Generals listened intently as Sharphound and Mothitelle explained all that had happened before they were found.

"A thousand years, we'd been trapped in that ice," Zekronos growled, clenching his giant fists in anger. "How could you possibly have managed without us?"

"Hey, we did the best we could!" Sharphound snapped. "We've almost won at least a couple of times."

"And yet the new Knights of Order have been doing well against you," Resharma retorted.

"Enough!" Yvestros bellowed, silencing the argument. "It is true that our campaigns against the Knights of Order have failed miserably-"

"Huh, speak for yourself," Sabelteur snorted, folding his arms.

"But now that we have the Twin Generals on our side, things might be different." Yvestros placed his hand-like wings on the Twins' shoulders. "So what do you say? Will you rejoin our forces and help us to finally destroy the Knights of Order once and for all?"

Resharma bowed her head. "As always, we are yours to command, my Lord."

"Yeah," Zekronos agreed. "Just point us in the right direction and we'll crush those Knights!"

"Splendid!" Yvestros cheered. "Sabelteur, prepare a new batch of KrokoViles!"

"Yes, my Lord!" Sabelteur cried.

"Where shall we strike, my Lord?" Zekronos asked eagerly.

"The Knights' last sighting was in Shalour City," Mothitelle reported. "It would be a good spot to take them on directly."

"Once the KrokoViles are done, you may begin the invasion." Yvestros smiled and clenched his fist in anticipation. "With the Twins back on our side, we'll finally bring the Knights of Order to their knees!"

* * *

Camille felt a sense of dread as she listened to the judge announcing the battle between her and Ramos. Aside from still recovering from her discovery, she was still dwelling on the message he'd given her, as well as everything that had happened over the past few days. She quickly realized that she hadn't had time to change her team around, but it was too late now.

"Begin!" the judge called, raising his hands. The Chespin next to him also raised his paws.

"Jumpluff, let's go!" Ramos called, throwing out a Poké Ball.

Camille flung out a Dusk Ball in response. "Honchkrow, I choose you!"

In a flash of light, the two Flying Pokemon appeared, hovering over the arena.

"Honchkrow, let's go for Wing Attack!" Camille shouted.

" _Krow!_ " cried Honchkrow, swooping towards Jumpluff.

"Block it with Cotton Guard!" Ramos commanded. "Then Sunny Day!"

A flash of white light surrounded Jumpluff, blocking Honchkrow's attack. Then it raised its arms and sent out a series of glowing rings up through the branches above. Camille looked up and saw the light shining brighter through the leaves.

"Interesting," she replied. "But it won't be enough to stop us. Honchkrow, hit it with a Shadow Ball!"

Honchkrow formed a glowing purple ball in his beak and fired it at Jumpluff. At the last second, Jumpluff bounded out of the way.

"Huh?" Camille gasped.

"Jumpluff, Fairy Wind!" Ramos called.

Jumpluff threw its arms out, creating a sparkling wind that blew over Honchkrow. The Dark Pokémon flinched in pain as the wind swept over its body.

"Oh no!" Camille cried.

"And Bullet Seed!" Ramos called.

Jumpluff spat out a volley of glowing green seeds, striking Honchkrow in the chest and knocking him back to the ground. When the attack stopped, Honchkrow was motionless on the ground.

"Honchkrow is unable to battle!" the judge declared. "Jumpluff is the winner!"

" _Chespin, pin!_ " Chespin cried.

Camille was stunned. She hadn't counted on Jumpluff using a Fairy-type attack against Honchkrow. She realized that she wasn't focusing on the battle as much as she thought.

"Okay, time to get serious," Camille decided, once she'd recalled Honchkrow. "Best to use a Fire Pokémon for this one. Fletchinder, let's go!"

Fletchinder appeared in a burst of light, ready for battle.

"Okay, let's go for Razor Wind!"

Fletchinder took to the air, his wings beginning to glow.

"Jumpluff, Bullet Seed!" Ramos yelled.

The Grass Pokemon jumped towards Fletchinder, firing a volley of seeds. Just before the seeds could reach him, Fletchinder flapped his wings and sent a huge wave of glowing blades out. The blades cut through the seeds and struck Jumpluff hard, sending it tumbling.

"Now finish with Flame Charge!" Camille called.

As Fletchinder dived towards Jumpluff, his body caught fire. Down and down Fletchinder flew before he slammed right into Jumpluff, driving it right into the ground and knocking it out.

"Jumpluff is unable to battle!" said the judge. "Fletchinder wins this round."

" _Chespin!_ " added Chespin.

"Very impressive, my dear," Ramos chuckled, recalling Jumpluff. "But this battle is far from over."

Camille clenched her fists as Ramos took out his next Poké Ball...

* * *

Upon returning to Lumiose City, Santos uploaded the pictures he'd taken onto Looker's computer. As he examined the petrified guards, Looker's face became grim. "And you say that those statues used to be human?"

"Yeah," Santos replied. "Officer Jenny said that they sent a warning to the rest of the staff. And lucky they did, otherwise, the death toll would have been greater. But do you have any idea who could have done this?"

Looker gave a heavy sigh. "I'm afraid so. There's only one person I know that's capable of this, and that... is Pokémon Hunter J!"

Emma gasped in horror and Mimi cowered behind her. Santos looked somewhat shocked. "Who is this Hunter J?"

"She's one of the worst Pokémon hunters ever known. All she ever cares about is capturing Pokémon to sell on the black market, whether they're wild or belonged to a trainer. In fact, there have been stories that J may have even killed people to steal their Pokémon." Looker turned to the picture of Falcatrax Prison with anger. "Judging by the casualties she caused last night, I can definitely confirm that this was her doing."

"That's horrible!" Emma breathed.

" _Purr,_ " Mimi agreed.

"Wait, you said she was a Pokémon hunter," Santos pointed out. "Why would Team Flare hire her to rescue Celosia?"

"I don't know, even with my sound logic," Looker admitted. "Nevertheless, our mission still stands. We need to hunt down the rest of Team Flare. For now, though, you may return to your Pokémon journey, Santos. I'll call you if I get any info."

* * *

Tristan and the others sat on the beds, waiting for further news on the Twins. Etna meanwhile was still mulling over what Gurkinn had told them. "This history of the Knights of Order never existed until Gurkinn told the others," she muttered to herself. "And he seemed to describe every detail word for word. It's almost like he was there over a thousand years ago."

She shook her head. "No, that's impossible! ...Although, that mysterious trainer, AZ, has been alive for more than three thousand years. But still, how would that be...?"

Suddenly, Lucario's cries interrupted her thoughts. " _Lucar! Lucario!_ "

Tristan leapt off the bed at once. "Is that them?"

Lucario placed his paw on the scanner and an image came up, showing the Twins flying above an army of KrokoViles, leading them across the fields towards Shalour City.

"It's them all right," Gurkinn replied grimly. "Resharma and Zekronos are heading towards the city."

"Then let's get out there and stop them!" Quinn cried.

Gurkinn turned to face them. "My friends, I can't say this battle will be easy. But against this army, Kalos has no other means of defense. You five are the only ones who might stand a chance against them."

"Aren't you coming with us?" Rafi asked.

"I'm afraid that this is one battle I cannot do," Gurkinn sighed. "I can't explain it to you at this moment. But know that I trust in you all."

"Me too," Etna replied. "Good luck, guys."

With firm nods, the Knights raised their Morphers and pressed the buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

* * *

"So, this is Shalour City, huh?" Zekronos asked with a faint smirk, as he and Resharma hovered over the KrokoViles and observed the city before them. "I remember when this whole area was just an empty field overlooking the sea."

"A lot has changed in our absence, brother," Resharma replied. "But soon we shall restore that field to what it was before."

"You are right as always, sister." Zekronos turned to the gathered KrokoViles and raised his fist. "Go, my armies! Reduce that entire city to rubble!"

With angry snarls, the KrokoViles set off across the plains towards the city...

Only to get struck by powerful bolts of laser fire, reducing the numbers greatly.

"What?" Zekronos snapped. "Who dares to try and stop the victory of the Generals?"

"We dare!" came the determined response from Tristan as he, Rafi, Marianne, Quinn, and Electra stepped out from behind a row of trees to block the way, Elemental Blasters at the ready.

"So, you must be the new generation of Knights of Order that Lord Yvestros told us about," Resharma noted.

"Yep, and you must be the Twin Generals," Tristan replied nonchalantly. "So now that we've gotten to know each other better..." He raised his Blaster again. "Get your armies away from the city!"

Zekronos laughed uproariously. "You're pretty brave to stand up against us! Don't you realize that you're vastly outnumbered? Five Knights against the Twin Generals? Not even your ancestors stood a chance under our power!"

"We don't need a whole army on our side to stop Yvestros!" Marianne shouted.

"And it'll take a lot more than a couple of black and white freaks to bring us down!" Rafi added.

"Freaks?" Resharma snapped, her eyes blazing with fury. "How dare you! KrokoViles, get them!"

"Here they come!" Quinn yelled as the mutant army charged towards them.

* * *

"Let's go, Weepinbell!" Ramos called, throwing his Ball out.

In a flash of light, Weepinbell appeared, ready for battle.

"This should be easy," Camille decided. "Fletchinder, Flame Charge!"

Again, Fletchinder's body caught fire as he swooped towards Weepinbell.

"Dodge it, then use Poison Powder!" Ramos called.

With unnatural speed, Weepinbell jumped into the air and then spat out a cloud of glowing purple dust right over Fletchinder. The bird Pokémon gave a cry of pain and crashed to the ground, purple bubbles rising off his body.

"Oh no!" Camille gasped. "He's been Poisoned!"

"And finish with Slam!" Ramos said.

As Fletchinder struggled to stand up, Weepinbell dropped out of the air and landed right on top of him, taking him out.

"Fletchinder is unable to battle!" the judge called. "Weepinbell wins this battle!"

" _Chespin, pin!_ "

Camille was stunned. Another one of her Pokemon knocked out! As she recalled Fletchinder, she silently cursed the fact that she had sent her Magmortar to Oak before she left Shalour City.

With a sigh, she took out her next Poke Ball. "Alright, Fennekin, let's see what you can do!"

She threw out her ball, sending out Fennekin. "Let's see what you can do." She scanned Fennekin with her Poke Dex, checking her stats. "Whoa, look at these Fire attacks! Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Heat Wave."

"Weepinbell, hit her with Razor Leaf!" Ramos called.

Weepinbell waved its leaves forward, sending a volley of sharp leaves out.

"Dodge them, quick!" Camille shouted.

Fennekin bounded to one side, narrowly avoiding the leaves.

"Now let's go for Flame Charge!"

Fennekin ran towards Weepinbell, her body catching fire.

"Grass Knot!" Ramos called.

Weepinbell's eyes began to glow green. Then two huge green roots erupted from the ground underneath Fennekin, wrapping around her waist and lifting her up.

"Fennekin!" Camille gasped.

"We've got her now!" Ramos cheered. "Let's hit her with Acid, then Razor Leaf!"

Weepinbell spewed out some purple liquid at Fennekin, freeing her from the roots but weakening her further. Then it fired another round of leaves and this time, Fennekin was unable to dodge them. The leaves hit her hard and forced her out of the arena, knocking her out.

"Fennekin is unable to battle!" the judge announced. "The winner of the match is Ramos!"

" _Chespin!_ "

Camille ran over to Fennekin and picked her up. "Fennekin, are you okay?"

The little Fox Pokemon lifted her head and gave a weak smile. " _Fennekin._ "

Camille turned her head away. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking straight! Everything's been going wrong for me since..." She broke off with a sob and hugged Fennekin close.

As Chespin ran up to her, Ramos didn't say anything, but he knew that this trainer was going through some tough times. So he decided to wait...

* * *

Tristan ducked backward, avoiding the snapping jaws of a KrokoVile, then he kicked it hard in the chest before punching it right on the chin. Two more KrokoViles tried to grab him from behind, only to get blasted into nothing by Quinn's Blaster.

Another one swiped its claws at Marianne, who blocked the attacks with both hands then headbutted its face. As it reeled back with a snarl, she charged into its chest, knocking it to the ground and then punching it in the neck.

Electra jumped over a KrokoVile's tail swipe then grabbed its shoulder and kicked it in the base of its back, causing it to fly off and collide into a group of its counterparts. Rafi leapt onto another mutant's back and jumped forward, planting both feet into its fellow's head.

"Weapons of Order, engage!" Tristan yelled, summoning his Fire Sword and decapitating three KrokoViles in front of him.

Marianne bashed another KrokoVile in the head with her Water Cannon then rammed the nozzle into its mouth and pulled the trigger. The KrokoVile gagged and choked as the jet of water rushed down its throat, its body starting to swell like a balloon. After a while, Marianne pulled her Cannon back and the KrokoVile was launched backward by the water gushing out its mouth, zooming through the battlefield like a rocket and knocking down a whole wave of its clones.

"Awesome work, Marianne!" Rafi cheered, firing a line of Feather Arrows at another group of KrokoViles.

Marianne gave a quick thumbs-up then fired another water jet at a new batch of mutants.

Electra raised her hammer and slammed it into the ground, sending out a wave of electricity across the field and wiping out ten KrokoViles at once.

Quinn slashed one KrokoVile's throat with one Leaf Dirk and stabbed the other into another Mutant's chest. "That's the last of them."

Above them, Zekronos gave an angry roar. "RAAAARRRGH! You may have wiped out the KrokoViles, but don't think this battle is over, Knights!"

"Because you still have the Twin Generals to face," Resharma continued.

"And against the black storms of thunder..."

"And the pure white flames..."

"You Knights of Order will never stand a chance!" the Twins finished in unison.

Tristan raised his Sword above his head. "We'll just see about that!"

With a loud roar, Zekronos swooped down and landed in front of the Knights. Resharma flew over him and launched a stream of fire from her mouth. Marianne shot a jet of water from her Cannon and extinguished the flames. Rafi fired some Feather Arrows at Resharma, hitting her in the wings and chest. But she didn't look hurt at all.

"Bolt Strike!" Zekronos charged at the Knights, his body surrounded by electricity. Tristan, Quinn, and Electra dived out of the way, but Rafi and Marianne weren't fast enough. Zekronos struck them with both arms, zapping them with powerful bolts. The two Knights were thrown back across the field, their armor fading as they hit the ground, paralyzed by the attack.

"Rafi! Marianne!" Tristan gasped.

"Zekronos is an Electric Type!" Electra cried. "He's strong against Water and Flying!"

Quinn turned to look at Resharma. "And she's Fire Type. This is not good."

Before the others could react, Resharma swooped down, grabbed Quinn and lifted him into the air.

"Quinn!" Electra yelled.

"Get ready to feel my heat, Grass Knight!" Resharma released her grip on Quinn. As he fell, Resharma opened her mouth. "Blue Flare!"

A stream of glowing blue fire shot out of her jaws and swept over Quinn's body. Just after he hit the ground, his armor disappeared, leaving a badly burned Quinn lying motionless.

"Oh no!" Tristan gasped.

Electra turned to face the Twin Generals. "We're in trouble now!"

* * *

Back at the Tower, Etna watched the scene in horror. She turned to Gurkinn. "You've got to do something!"

Gurkinn turned away, tears in his eyes. "I-I can't... I can't face them again... not after what happened all those years ago..."

For a moment, Etna was shocked. But she quickly calmed down as she put two and two together. "You were there, weren't you? A thousand years ago? You were the original leader of the Knights of Order."

Gurkinn looked at her in shock. "H-How did you...?"

"My first suspicion was when you described the battle at Frost Cavern," Etna explained, folding her arms. "The history of the Knights of Order has been very cloudy, but nobody could have recalled that moment as well as you would have. Plus, when you told the story, I saw you crying when you talked about the Ice Knight's sacrifice. And how did you know that the Ice Knight was a female unless you knew her personally?"

As he listened, Gurkinn was silent. Now he sighed and shook his head. "Your friends mentioned how clever you were when you learned their identities." His smile faded quickly. "It's true. After our final victory against Yvestros and the last Knights had left, I chose to continue my role and watch over the lands. Zygarde knew that Yvestros might one day return so he offered me the chance to become immortal and train the next generation should that day come. When I accepted, Alpha led me to where Xerneas, the Life Pokémon, lived. She granted me eternal life until the day that Yvestros was finally destroyed."

"Then... what about Korrina?"

Gurkinn sighed again. "After a thousand years of solitude, I met a very beautiful young woman and fell in love. After we dated a while, we eventually married and soon we had a bold young son, Korrina's father. Then when he grew up, he married and they gave birth to Korrina. But five years ago, I lost my wife to a horrible sickness, and shortly afterward, Korrina's parents died in an accident while traveling overseas. I had to raise Korrina on my own." Another tear ran down his cheek. "I had already lost my children over a thousand years ago to Yvestros... but losing someone you loved when you're unable to die yourself is the worst feeling I could ever imagine."

Etna covered her mouth with her hand, trying to stifle a sob. "That's awful."

Gurkinn turned to look at the screen. "That's why I can't face the Twins in combat. They remind me of when I lost... her."

Etna's face hardened. "So you're just gonna stay here and let Tristan and the others die? And let history repeat itself?"

"What?" Gurkinn breathed.

"You may not have been able to save all the original Knights of Order, but their deaths meant that Kalos was safe again. And you still had six medallions left, meaning that you could bring hope again when Yvestros came back. But if they die out here, then everything you've fought for a thousand years ago, it will all be for nothing!"

* * *

Zekronos laughed as he faced Tristan and Electra. "And then there were two. Fire and Electric. Let's see who's the strongest one of each!"

"We'll just see about that!" Tristan snapped. "Electra, you take on Zekronos. I'll deal with his sister!"

"But how can we fight them?" Electra cried. "They overpowered the others."

"We have to, or Kalos is doomed!" Tristan replied.

"How noble," Resharma chuckled. "Willing to lose your lives for the sake of Kalos, just like the Knights who came before you."

"And just like them, you'll probably die just as easily!" Zekronos added sharply. "Thunderbolt!"

The black Poké-Mutant raised his claws and fired a huge bolt of lightning at them. Electra jumped in its path and raised her hammer to block it. She gasped as the electricity surged through her body, forcing her back a few steps. After what felt like forever, the lightning stopped and she stumbled to her knees, still morphed but her body shaking from the effort.

At the same time, Resharma landed in front of Tristan. "Fire Blast!" She opened her jaws and launched a powerful wave of fire that formed into a massive five-pointed star. Tristan raised his sword to block the attack, but the star easily struck his entire body, causing him to scream in pain from the heat. When the fire finally stopped, Tristan collapsed to the ground, his armor smoking but still active.

"Impressive," Zekronos smirked. "You really are as resilient as your ancestors, but don't think that fire and electricity is all we're capable of!"

"We are also part Dragon," Resharma agreed as Tristan and Electra struggled to their feet. "At any point, we can use them to crush you all."

"Dragon, huh?" Electra panted. "Well, I've got a surprise for you. Dragon Pulse!"

She raised her Hammer up and slammed it into the ground, sending a purple shockwave across the ground that slammed into Resharma. The white Poké-Mutant gasped and fell backward.

"Solar Beam!" Tristan pointed his sword towards the sun, letting the rays of light soak into his blade. Then he pointed it out and launched a powerful beam of light at Zekronos, dealing some fierce damage to him.

"So you do have a lot of fight in you!" Zekronos grunted.

"But can you manage to take us both at once?" Resharma asked. "Fusion Flare!"

"Fusion Bolt!" Zekronos cried.

Resharma created a huge ball of fire in her mouth while Zekronos' body began to spark madly. The two launched their attacks at the same time, the fire and lightning fusing in the middle into a massive wave of energy that surged towards Tristan and Electra...

"Dragon Pulse!"

Just before the attack could hit, a beam of purple energy struck the attack, causing a massive explosion. When the smoke faded, Tristan and Electra whirled round, their eyes widening behind their helmets. "Gurkinn!"

Sure enough, Gurkinn was standing on a hill behind them, morphed and ready. Next to him stood Lucario, his paws raised after his attack.

"Well, well, if it isn't the fearless leader of the Knights of Order!" Zekronos sneered. "Have you come to die alongside your friends?"

"No!" Gurkinn yelled. "I've done enough running from you! My friends were brave enough to stand up against you, and now it's my turn to help them!"

"And how can you defeat us when your Knights couldn't?" Resharma asked. "Even with that Lucario next to you, you have no chance."

"But there's one thing I've discovered in all my years of travel." Gurkinn put a hand on the fist-marking on his chest plate and pulled it open, revealing a glowing stone the size of a marble. "An ultimate weapon of hope!"

With that, he pressed the stone with two fingers. "Mega Evolution, activate!"

The stone began to glow and sent streams of light at Lucario, specifically at the stone in his leather gauntlet. Lucario's body was covered in the light for a moment, and when it faded, Tristan and Electra found themselves looking at a familiar sight; the very same Lucario that had saved them in Lumiose City the day they became the Knights of Order!

"So that's its Mega Evolved form!" Tristan breathed.

At the same time, another series of light streams swept over Gurkinn's armor. A pure gold trim swept over his legs, wrapping around the tops of his boots. The belt changed color from black to silver. The biggest change though came from his breastplate, changing into ebony and extending over his shoulders and upper body, the fist-marking shifting into a shining blue. His helmet was also affected. The pointed ears folded back along the top, a black stripe appeared along the snout and the visor turned a silvery-red color.

"Mega Evolved Knight of Order, Fighting Type!" Gurkinn yelled, raising his fists in a battle pose.

"Whoa, awesome!" Electra gasped.

Zekronos gave a furious snarl and took to the air. "Don't think you can still win this! Dragon Claw!" His hands flashed purple as he dived towards Mega Lucario.

"Block it with Bone Club!" Gurkinn called.

Mega Lucario summoned a glowing bone as long as a pole and used it to stop Zekronos' claws before swinging it round and striking Zekronos in the head.

"Flamethrower!" Resharma launched a stream of fire at Gurkinn.

"Look out!" Tristan called.

At the very last second, Gurkinn stepped to one side, avoiding the flames. "Detect. A useful little attack, that. Claw Blades, engage!"

In an instant, the metal daggers appeared in his hands. "Close Combat!"

He jumped into the air and threw a series of punches and blade swipes at Resharma, sending her tumbling towards the ground.

Meanwhile, Mega Lucario launched a powerful Aura Sphere at Zekronos, throwing him back across the field and striking Resharma moments before she landed. The two Poke-Mutants collapsed in a heap.

Gurkinn and Mega Lucario stood in front of Tristan and Electra. "Ready for round two, Twin Generals?"

Zekronos glared angrily at them. "This isn't over, Knights of Order! Mark my words, we will not rest until you have been destroyed!"

"Come, my brother," Resharma panted. "We must retreat for now. There will be other days to kill the Knights."

With that, the Twins disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

"Mega Armor, return!" Gurkinn said.

As he spoke, the golden armor vanished, returning to its normal color. At the same time, Mega Lucario flashed white and disappeared, leaving a normal Lucario in its place.

Gurkinn then turned to the unconscious Rafi, Marianne, and Quinn. "Let's get them back to the Tower."

* * *

Zekronos bowed his head before Yvestros. "Forgive us, my Lord, but we have failed to destroy the Knights of Order."

"It doesn't matter," Yvestros replied with a wave of his hand. "Neither of you were at your full strength yet, just like I am."

"Even so, you did quite a number on them," Sharphound commented. "One Bolt Strike easily took out two Knights' armor. And if it weren't for the Fighting Knight, you could have wiped them out entirely!"

Resharma meanwhile was looking out the balcony, staring into the setting sun in reflection. "Still, there was something about that Fighting Knight that seemed familiar somehow..."

* * *

"Ow!" Tristan winced as Etna rubbed his burnt back with a wet cloth.

"Don't be such a baby," Etna scolded, spraying the cloth with Burn Heal. "Just because you're the Fire Knight doesn't mean you're immune to burns."

"How do you know this stuff works on humans too?" Quinn asked, rubbing the bandages on his arms.

"My mother's a doctor in Lumiose City," Etna replied. "I'm planning to follow in her footsteps in between Pokemon battles."

In the beds next to Tristan and Quinn, Rafi and Marianne were resting while Electra carefully applied Parlyz Heal on their chests.

Gurkinn watched them with a smile. "I'm glad to see that you guys are alright."

"Thanks again for the timely rescue," Tristan beamed. "But how did you get that awesome armor enhancement back there?"

Gurkinn lifted his other wrist, revealing a black ring with a stone inside. "This Mega Ring allows a Pokémon to unlock the full power of its evolved state. A few years ago, Zygarde Alpha helped me to utilize its power into my Morpher, increasing my power and allowing me to use all sorts of stronger attacks."

"Why haven't you used it before now?" Marianne asked.

"I was saving my powers for the day when Yvestros himself showed up," Gurkinn explained. "But now that Resharma and Zekronos have been revived, I fear that I will need to use it more often."

"Can we use that power too?" Tristan asked.

In response, Gurkinn went over to a cupboard and took out five Mega Rings and an assortment of colored stones. "Your Mega Powers are yet to be revealed, but that doesn't mean I can't give you these Mega Rings."

He handed a Ring out to each Knight and gave them a different colored stone. "Tristan, your stone is called Blazikenite. Quinn, yours is Sceptilite. Rafi, you get Pidgeotite. Marianne, you get Blastoisinite. And Electra, you now hold Ampharosite."

"Cool!" Rafi breathed.

"Keep those Rings and Stones safe," Gurkinn told them, "and you will be able to evolve your Pokemon into more powerful forms, unlocking new abilities and types they never knew they could use."

"But Orville hasn't yet evolved into Pidgeot," Rafi realized.

"He will, as will Tristan's Combusken," Gurkinn said. "For now, I'll call in my friend, McGinty, at Geosenge Town to make some special items for the Stones. As long as your Pokemon wear these items, the Stones will allow them to Mega Evolve."

"Thanks, Gurkinn," Tristan beamed before wincing again. "OW!"

"For Arceus' sake, you're a terrible patient!" Etna snapped.

Gurkinn and the others laughed.

* * *

Back at Courmarine City, Camille sat at the base of the tree, staring sadly at Fennekin's Poké Ball. The battle against Ramos felt like it was over too quickly, and she felt nothing but painful regret. "What has Yvestros done to me?" she muttered. "I wasn't fully prepared for this fight, I just went in and started without thinking. It's like I was working with Team Rocket again..."

She sighed, reflecting back on those awful memories. Every time she arrived at a Gym, one of the Team Rocket Executives, usually Proton or Ariana, would give her details of which Pokémon types the Gym Leader would use, giving her time to prepare her team accordingly. Even so, there had been moments when she'd fail and then devote her time to training her team up a bit until she was sure they were ready.

After Team Rocket was disbanded in Johto, Camille was left alone, unable to contact anyone for advice. That didn't stop her from challenging Clair, the last Gym Leader in Johto. But Camille ultimately lost to her, which made her decide to find stronger Pokémon. That decision led to her traveling to the Whirl Islands, where she met Santos again, and where the Legendary Pokémon Lugia revealed the error of her ways. Since that day, Santos had stuck by her side, helping her train for each Gym, cheering for her in the battles and consoling her whenever she failed.

But now, she had fallen under another evil spell, bringing her back to the old Rocket ways. Meeting Korrina that day had been a lucky break, which gave her time to plan her team. Thus, since she was freed, she had been left without any prior planning at all.

She bowed her head and placed the Poké Ball on her forehead. "I promise, I won't let this happen again..."

" _Chespin, pin!_ "

Camille looked up and saw the Chespin from earlier scampering towards her.

"Get back here, you little scamp!" Ramos called, hurrying after him. He paused when he saw Camille. "Oh hello again, my dear. Sorry about Chespin, he's a bit of a rascal. Can't sit still for a minute."

"It's alright," Camille replied simply. "I think he still wants to apologize for making me crash before."

"No, I think there's more to it than that." Ramos rubbed his beard in thought. "You know, if there's one thing that Chespin really likes, it's watching Gym Battles. My guess is that he wants to take part in a battle himself, and he could see that you were quite a strong trainer."

Camille looked down at Chespin, who was looking up at her with gleaming eyes. "But I can't possibly take him. I mean-"

"Oh, go ahead, my dear," Ramos cut in. "I don't really own him. I just allowed him to visit because I have a soft spot for Grass Types. But I think he's made his choice to go with you."

With a smile, Camille picked up Chespin and placed him on his lap. "Alright, if that's what you want, how can I say no?"

" _Chespin!_ " cried the little Grass Pokémon, hugging her waist.

Camille couldn't help but laugh. Chespin's cheerful attitude reminded her so much of Santos, comforting her at her lowest. She looked up at the sky. "Wherever you are now, Santos, I'm not gonna give up!"

* * *

 **And this chapter is done. Huge apologies for the delay; it's getting very tough to write these chapters, but I am doing my best.**

 **Okay, so here's the deal: I'm going to be away for the next two weeks, so I won't be able to update for a while. But in that time, I'll need your help to continue the story as I'm running short of ideas. So over the next two weeks, I need you to send me via PM as many ideas for Poke-Mutants and how I should use them against the Knights of Order. I might not use all the ideas, but I will appreciate any that come my way. For every idea I pick for the story, I'll remember to give credit to whoever sent it.**

 **The criteria for the monsters are: they must incorporate Pokemon up to the Sixth Generation. They could be a hybrid of two Pokemon, or human and Pokemon. And they must have a specific weakness that the Knights have to find in order to destroy them.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing. It really keeps me going.**

 **See you next time**


	24. A Friend Indeed, Part One

_Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _Celosia was broken out of jail by the mysterious Pokémon Hunter J who delivered her to her fellow Team Flare admins on a mission in Frost Cavern. The mission involved the unearthing of two Poké-Mutants, Resharma and Zekronos. Upon hearing of the discovery, Yvestros appeared before Team Flare and using the life force of two unfortunate scientists, he revived his Twin Generals and brought them back to his lair. Gurkinn, who was revealed to have been the original leader of the Knights of Order a thousand years ago, sent the Knights to confront the Twins as they were about to invade Shalour City, but against the Twins' power, they stood very little chance. At the last minute, Gurkinn and his Lucario joined the battle, where Gurkinn utilized the power of the Mega Stone to Mega Evolve Lucario and upgrade his armor to drive the Twins away. In preparation for the upcoming battles, Gurkinn gave the Knights their own Mega Rings and Mega Stones._

 _Meanwhile, Camille suffered her first Gym loss against Ramos, the Gym Leader of Courmarine City. Disheartened by the failure, Camille vowed to improve herself..._

* * *

Chapter 23: A Friend Indeed, Part 1

"The Battle Chateau..." Camille let out a heavy sigh as she looked down at the ancient castle. "I haven't been back here in over a month. But if I'm going to get stronger, this is the best chance I have. Salamence, land over by the river."

With a loud roar, Salamence swooped down towards the Chateau, nearly throwing Camille off as he did so. Camille had to cling on tight so as not to fall. Salamence was not the best choice for her Flying Pokemon, but without Dragonite, he was now the only large Dragon Pokémon on her team that can fly, even if he wasn't suited to carrying her.

Once Salamence had landed, Camille recalled him and made her way into the Chateau.

"Welcome, Duchess Camille," called Duke Turner as she entered the entrance hall. "So nice to see you again."

"Hello," Camille replied with a smile. "I'm here to do some training."

"Follow me." Duke Turner led her down the passage towards the waiting room.

Upon entering, Camille gasped at the number of trainers gathered. "Why are there so many trainers here today?"

"Haven't you heard the news?" Duke Turner asked. "Today is the monthly Gym Leader Double Battle challenge. It's when two Gym Leaders take on opponents of any Rank, showing off Pokémon not normally seen in their Gyms. This month, Marchioness Viola and Marquis Grant are our honored guests."

Camille looked slightly nervous, remembering her last days of being Yvestros' Dragon Knight. _I sure hope they don't notice me at all._

"Attention, all!" called the young maid at that moment. "As you have seen, Viola and Grant have just won their last battle and are ready to call out their next opponent."

Camille turned around and spotted the Gym Leaders standing next to the maid, both wearing yellow cloaks over their normal clothes. Quickly, she turned her head away and covered her face with one hand. _Please don't see me... please Arceus, don't let them see me..._

"We want to fight next!" came a cry at that moment.

Glancing through her fingers, Camille saw a young boy and girl waving at Viola and Grant. The Gym Leaders swapped glances then turned to the children and nodded.

"Phew," Camille sighed in relief. "I'd better get out of here fast."

But as she turned to go, she bumped right into a trainer's Throh. Before she could say anything, Throh, acting purely out of impulse, grabbed her with both arms, lifted her up and hurled her across the room. The crowd quickly parted, moments before she crashed hard onto the floor.

"Yikes!" cried the young boy. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so," Camille grunted, staggering to her feet.

"Well, well, look who it is!" Grant stated in seething tones. "Camille the traitor!"

Camille whirled round and saw Viola and Grant standing before her. Grant had his arms folded and Viola was showing a nasty glare.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing your face around us," Viola scowled. "After you've kidnapped us and all!"

The crowd looked confused and began to murmur to each other.

"Listen," Camille stammered. "You've got me all wrong! I'm not-"

"Silence!" Grant snapped, stepping closer to Camille until he was staring right into her eyes. "What are you here for anyway? Come to take us back to your Lord and Master to finish us off?"

"N-n-no!" Camille gasped. "I-I'm not working for Yvestros anymore!"

"A likely story!" Grant growled. "Now you listen to me. I don't know what kind of trick you're trying to pull, but there's no way you're tricking us again. In fact, let's show you what we're capable of." He turned to Viola and nodded.

Viola smiled and turned to the audience. "Everyone, we've chosen our next opponent for the next match. Grant and I versus... Camille!"

As the crowd cheered, Camille gulped nervously. This was not going to end well...

* * *

"Alright," Quinn said, raising his fists up. "Show me what you've got! Don't hold back."

With a nod, Electra swung her fist out in a punch which Quinn quickly blocked. He then threw out a kick that Electra blocked with her arm. She retaliated with a punch again. This time, Quinn ducked aside, grabbed her arm and flipped her over his back and onto the ground.

"Ow!" Electra groaned. "Go easy on me, Quinn. I'm still sore from our fight with the Twins."

"That was two days ago," Quinn sighed. "You're fine. Besides, you know that Gurkinn wants us to be at our fighting best if we ever face them again."

"Yeah, yeah," Electra muttered. "Help me out here."

Quinn nodded and went to grab Electra's offered hand. But as he did, Electra grabbed his shoulder and pulled, sending him sprawling onto the ground next to her.

"How's that for fighting best, huh?" Electra chuckled, getting to her feet.

* * *

"This has got to be the dumbest thing you have ever thought of!" Etna sighed.

"Oh, come on!" Tristan cried. "If I'm gonna stand a chance against Resharma, this is the best way to do it."

"I'm with Etna on this one," Marianne argued. "How is using Etna's Charizard a way to prepare yourself against Resharma?"

"As the Fire Knight, I was barely able to withstand Resharma's Fire Blast," Tristan explained. "So with Etna's Fire-Types, I can learn to enhance my immunity to Fire. So come on, call out your Charizard and we can get started."

"He might have a point there," Rafi said, rubbing his chin. "Tristan and Electra were the only ones that were still standing against the Twins."

"Alright, let's give it a try." Etna took out her Poké Ball. "Out you come, Charizard!"

In a flash of light, Charizard appeared, spreading his wings and letting out a roar.

"Okay, now let's try this out." Tristan smiled and approached Charizard. "You ready to help out?"

"I'd be careful if I were you," Etna warned. "Charizard is not used to anyone besides me touching him."

"Relax. I just need to get close enough for this." Tristan raised his Morpher, but as he did, he accidentally bumped Charizard's belly with his elbow.

" _CHARRRRR!_ " Before anyone could blink, Charizard spat out a stream of flame over Tristan's head.

"Charizard, that's enough!" Etna yelled.

Hearing his trainer's voice, Charizard stopped his attack, leaving Tristan's body scorched from the waist up.

"Are you okay?" Rafi asked.

"Yep. I can feel myself getting tougher already," Tristan groaned, moments before he fainted backwards onto the ground.

Marianne face-palmed. "I knew this was a bad idea."

" _Mincci,_ " Lucky agreed.

* * *

"My Lord!" Sabelteur called from his computer screens. "Mothitelle and I have just found something that I think you would like."

"Oh yes?" Yvestros asked as he and the Twins joined him. "What can that be?"

Sabelteur pointed at one of the screens. "This Spydove is perched right on the top of the Battle Chateau that we attacked last month. Look at the latest readings."

Yvestros watched as two figures in yellow robes stepped into view on the arena. "Those are just two of the Gym Leaders we kidnapped. We have no need for them."

"Wait for it..."

At that moment, another figure came in after the first two. Yvestros' eyes widened when he spotted the figure's purple hair. "Can it be...?"

"It's her alright, my Lord," Mothitelle replied. "The former Dragon Knight of Destruction. After her defeat, we lost contact with her. Now she's returned to the Chateau."

"So, this is the one you tried to use on the Knights of Order?" Resharma asked.

"This is our chance at last," Yvestros chuckled. "She failed in her duty to destroy the Knights and as such, she must be eliminated."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Zekronos cried. "Let's get down there and crush her!"

"Honestly, brother," Resharma sighed, rolling her eyes. "That's your suggestion for everything."

"Well, what do you think?" Sharphound asked.

"I think a subtle assassination is best for a traitor like her."

"Traitors must suffer greatly!" Zekronos yelled. "I say we grab her and I subject her to my Fusion Bolt. There'll be hardly anything left of her when I'm done with her!"

"ENOUGH!" Yvestros bellowed. "Have you forgotten about our most hated enemies, the Knights of Order? No matter what we do, they always end up ahead of us. If we go down there, they'll show up and foil our plans!"

Mothitelle rubbed her chin in thought. "You know, my Lord, I think the Twins are both right."

"We are?" Zekronos asked.

"Are we?" Resharma added.

"Yes." Mothitelle turned to them with a smile. "So, tell me what you were planning, Resharma..."

* * *

"Hammer Arm!"

At its trainer's command, Diggersby raised its muscular ear and swung it out towards Frogadier.

"Dodge it quick!" Santos yelled. "Then hit him with Water Pulse!"

Frogadier jumped to one side at the last second, narrowly avoiding Diggersby's attack. He then summoned a glowing blue ball in his hands and flung it out, striking Diggersby hard.

"And finish with Quick Attack!"

Faster than anyone could blink, Frogadier dived out of the sky and slammed into Diggersby, who fell to the ground, too weak to fight back.

"Oh no!" the trainer gasped.

Santos smiled as Frogadier landed next to him. "Looks like I win this match!"

With a sigh, the trainer recalled his Diggersby. Santos walked up to him and held out his hand. "Good battle today."

"Thanks, man," the trainer beamed, accepting the handshake. "Good luck on your adventures."

"You too!" Santos called, watching the trainer setting off. He then turned to Frogadier. "Nice work there, buddy. With your speed, we might stand a chance against our next Gym Leader."

" _Frogadier,_ " said the Water Pokémon.

Santos recalled Frogadier into his Poké Ball then called out his Aerodactyl and climbed onto her back. "Alright, girl, let's head back to Camphrier Town to rest and heal up."

Aerodactyl took off from the cliffs of Route 8 and flew northeast towards Camphrier Town. For the past few days, Santos had been training his team long and hard. The whole ordeal with hunting Team Flare and helping the Knights of Order save Camille had happened shortly after he'd won his sixth badge and he was desperate to catch up on his training.

Just then, he felt his Aerodactyl veering slightly to the left. "Whoa! What's up, girl?"

Looking down, he realized he was flying over the Battle Chateau's arena. At that moment, he spotted a familiar shock of purple hair. "No way! It's Camille!"

He then saw her opponents and his smile faded. "Uh oh, Viola and Grant!"

"Onix, let's go!" Grant yelled, throwing out his Poké Ball.

"Scolipede, you're up!" Viola called, tossing out a Net Ball.

As the two Pokemon emerged, Camille seemed to hesitate. But Santos knew that she was simply assessing her opponents, deciding on the best Pokémon for the job.

Finally, Camille made her decision. "Salamence, Gogoat, I choose you!"

Santos smirked as her Pokemon came into the arena, Salamence hovering over the arena and Gogoat shaking its head eagerly. "Good choice. Salamence could take on Scolipede with his Flamethrower, and that Gogoat looks like it could handle Onix."

But then the Gym Leaders pulled off a move that he didn't see coming.

"Onix, hit that Salamence with Smack Down!" Grant yelled.

With a roar, Onix swung its tail round, knocking Salamence out of the air.

"Gogoat, use Vine Whip to hold Onix back!" Camille shouted desperately.

"Scolipede, Steamroller!" Viola shouted.

Just as the vines started to emerge from Gogoat's leafy ruff, Scolipede curled into a ball and barreled straight into him, interrupting his attack and driving him back.

"Oh no!" Camille gasped. "Salamence, go and help Gogoat!"

Salamence slowly stood up and lifted his wings.

"Not so fast!" Grant yelled. "Onix, grab him with Bind!"

Onix dived in with incredible speed and wrapped itself around Salamence, pinning him down.

"Thanks, Grant!" Viola beamed. "Scolipede, keep up the Steamroller!"

As Scolipede struck Gogoat again and again, Santos watched the battle with undisguised shock. "This isn't just a normal Pokémon battle! This is personal! Aerodactyl, land in that flowerbed over there, quick!"

As Aerodactyl swooped down, Santos opened his bag and drew out a green cloak. "Hang on, Camille. I'm coming."

But even as he ran into the Chateau to enact his rescue, seconds after he left, three clouds of black smoke materialized into the same flowerbed...

* * *

"You're all doing well so far," Gurkinn told his Knights once they'd returned to the Tower. "Keep up your training and you might stand a better chance against the Twins. Though, Tristan, I could think of something much better to strengthen yourself than using Charizard."

"Oh yeah?" Tristan retorted as he finished wiping the soot off his clothes. "Then what?"

At that moment, Lucario interrupted them. " _Lucar! Lucario!_ "

"What is it, old friend?" Gurkinn asked.

Lucario activated the Aura Scanner and pointed at the image.

"Isn't that the Battle Chateau arena?" Rafi asked.

" _Cino,_ " Lucky said.

"Wait, look at that!" Quinn cried, pointing at the screen.

Marianne's eyes widened as she looked at the figures in the arena. "That's Camille! And she's fighting against Viola and Grant!"

"Oh, that's not good," Etna muttered. "Those two must still be harboring some hatred to her for kidnapping them."

"That can't be the only reason Lucario called us here," Electra said. "So what's up?"

"Let me try this." Gurkinn typed on the scanner's keyboard and the image changed so that Camille's body was now covered in a purple glow. He then zoomed the image out further until it now showed the Chateau from above. And there by the entrance, he spotted three blobs of black. "Oh no!"

"What is that?" Tristan asked.

Gurkinn zoomed the image in on the black blobs until the images became more clear. And what they showed made the others gasp in horror.

"It's Sharphound and the Twins!" Quinn growled.

"They must have come for Camille!" Electra breathed. "That's the only possible reason they're here."

"But why?" Rafi asked puzzled. "She's no longer under Yvestros' control."

"There's only one reason," Gurkinn replied grimly. "One thing I remember about Yvestros is he has no qualms about slaughtering anyone who turned against him, even those that he had forced to obey him. Therefore..."

"They're here to kill Camille!" Etna gasped.

"There's no time to lose!" Marianne cried. "We have to get over there now!"

* * *

"Please stop this!" Camille yelled. "My Pokémon had nothing to do with my actions!"

"Well, we had nothing to do with whatever your Master was planning," Viola countered. "But we still suffered under his power, and it's all because of you!"

"Likewise, your Pokemon may not have been used during your reign of terror," Grant went on. "But they are your Pokémon, so they're no innocent than you are."

Hearing this, Camille gritted her teeth. "If that's how it's gonna be, don't think I'm going down without a fight! Salamence, Aqua Tail!"

A vortex of water formed around Salamence's tail and he smashed it right into Onix's face. The Rock Pokemon recoiled at the effective attack, loosening its grip and allowing Salamence to fly free.

"Gogoat, stop Scolipede with Bulldoze!" Camille shouted.

With an angry bleat, Gogoat reared up and stomped the arena with his front hooves, shaking it so much that Scolipede was thrown off its feet.

"Now's our chance!" Camille snapped, pointing her arm out. "Gogoat, Horn Leech! Salamence, Zen Headbutt!"

Gogoat galloped towards Onix, his horns glowing green. At the same time, Salamence swooped down at Scolipede, head lowered to strike.

"Now we're getting somewhere!" Grant chuckled. "Onix, Iron Tail!"

Onix's tail flashed white as it swung it around and struck Salamence and Gogoat, throwing them back.

"Let's end this now!" Viola cried. "Scolipede, Megahorn!"

As Scolipede's antennae began to glow, it scuttled towards the stunned Salamence and Gogoat...

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Suddenly, an Aerodactyl landed in front of Scolipede and took the attack on its chest. The crowd on the balcony gasped. At the same time, Santos pushed through and ran onto the arena, hurling his cloak out.

"Marquis Santos!" Duke Turner cried out. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I demand that Camille should forfeit the match!" Santos yelled as Aerodactyl flew out of the way. "She's clearly outmatched by the Gym Leaders' Pokémon!"

"Stay out of this, Santos!" Camille shouted. "I can handle them. Just let me win!"

"No!" Santos snapped, rounding on her. "You're not thinking straight. If you keep fighting even when your Pokémon are tired, then you're just gonna prove the Gym Leaders right. They don't see you as I did all those years ago, as I still do. I know you're better than this, Camille. Please, don't do this. End it now."

At her friend's desperate pleas, Camille seemed to deflate. She looked at Salamence and Gogoat for what seemed like the first time and saw how tired they were. After recalling them into their Poké Balls, she turned back with tears in her eyes. "You're right, Santos. I've been through so much pain that I didn't know what I was doing. Oh, Santos, everything's been going wrong since I left you!"

"It's okay, Camille," Santos sighed. "I'm here for you now."

"What's going on here?" Grant shouted, marching up to Santos. "Why are you protecting this girl?"

"You're not working with her, are you?" Viola demanded, recalling her Scolipede. "Do you have any idea what she put us through?"

"Yes I do, as a matter of fact," Santos replied in cold, level tones. "I was with the Knights of Order when they saved your lives, and Camille's life too."

"Huh?" the Gym Leaders both asked.

"Everything Camille did to you was not her actions. It was the work of our true enemy, Yvestros. He was just controlling her with some powerful spell until the Knights of Order freed her, and she's regretted every moment of those days ever since. And what do you do? You challenge her to this... this..." Santos struggled to find the right words. "Grudge match! And I thought you Gym Leaders were better than this."

"Oh, come on!" Grant retorted. "Do you really expect us to believe any of that?"

"Wait, Grant," Viola said, grabbing his shoulder. "What if he's right? Camille didn't seem so willing to battle us earlier."

"It could be some sort of trick," Grant scoffed. "And how do we know she's not working for them anymore?"

"There she is!"

Santos, Viola, and Grant whirled around and saw a huge humanoid Zekrom flying across the river towards them. On its back was Sharphound. The crowd screamed in terror and ran back into the Chateau, followed closely by Duke Turner.

Camille gasped in horror and grabbed hold of Santos. "Oh no! He's found me!"

"Stay back, Camille," Santos hissed. "Let me handle this." He stepped onto the edge of the arena. "I assume I'm speaking to the Generals of Yvestros?"

"That's LORD Yvestros to you, human!" Sharphound snapped. "Now, hand over the former Dragon Knight, and we might spare your lives."

"I knew it," Grant growled. "They want her back on their side!"

"Shut up!" Viola hissed.

"Why?" Santos called. "She's no longer under your Master's spell."

"Irrelevant!" the Zekrom-mutant roared. "She is no longer useful to our plans now that my sister and I have been revived. Therefore, we have orders from our Lord to eliminate her so that she cannot fight back!"

Grant gasped and Viola covered her mouth in shock. Camille turned to Santos in fear. "Just let them take me. I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of me."

"Camille, no!" Santos gasped. "Sacrificing yourself isn't going to stop this. I can't let you do this!"

"We're wasting time here!" Sharphound yelled. "Zekronos, kill her!"

"With pleasure. Fusion Bolt!" Zekronos' body began to glow blue and he launched a burst of lightning from his hands. Camille and Santos were unable to run, watching the electricity coming towards them...

"Onix, block the attack!" Grant yelled.

At the last second, Onix moved in front of them and took the Electric attack.

Santos turned to Grant to ask a question, but Grant held up a hand. "No time to talk. Just take Camille and get her out of here! Viola, go with them!"

But before they could move, Sharphound leapt off of Zekronos' back and landed on the arena stairs. "You're not getting away that easily, traitor!"

"Me, a traitor?" Camille shouted. "Your master used me!"

"Does it matter?" Sharphound snarled, baring his teeth. "Any being lower than the Generals who fails to complete Yvestros' commands must be destroyed."

"Water Pulse!"

Sharphound spun around, just in time to receive a powerful blast into the chest that threw him off the stairs.

Santos looked up and smiled as he saw the Knights of Order standing on the balcony. "You guys! You've come to help!"

"It's good to see you again," Viola beamed.

"We're actually here for Camille," Tristan replied, coming down the stairs with Quinn and Electra. "Glad to see you're on top of things though, Santos."

"No problem," Santos said.

At that moment, they heard a loud thud that shook the arena. They turned and saw Onix fainted on the floor. Grant quickly recalled it and ran back to the others. "This is getting too intense! We need to get out of here."

"We'll hold them off," Tristan ordered. "Just go with Rafi and Marianne. They'll get Camille out of here."

"Come on, let's go!" Santos called, taking Camille up the stairs. Grant and Viola ran after them.

Tristan, Quinn and Electra then turned to face Zekronos and Sharphound. "Let's do this, guys!" Tristan called.

"Back for round two, huh?" Zekronos laughed as he landed on the arena.

Sharphound got to his feet and gritted his teeth. "Get ready to lose, Knights!"

* * *

"I don't understand," Camille said as she followed Santos, Rafi, and Marianne through the Chateau. "Why did you guys come to save me?"

"You think we wouldn't?" Rafi asked. "We're the Knights of Order, we always do the right thing."

"But I've hurt you, tortured you, tricked you and tried to kill you many times," Camille argued. "I don't deserve any of this."

"Yes, you do!" Marianne snapped, turning to look at her. "Listen, Camille, I know you probably feel like the most horrible person in the entire world right now. But none of that was under your control, so quit blaming yourself."

Camille was silent, but she didn't seem convinced.

"Look, let's not worry about that now," Santos decided. "We'll get you to safety and then we'll talk about it."

As they reached the exit, they paused when they saw some of the trainers hiding at the second-floor balcony. They also saw that the stairs were blocked by KrokoViles.

"Those trainers need our help," Rafi gasped, raising his Blaster.

"Wait!" Santos cried, grabbing Rafi's arm. "Those KrokoViles are too close to the trainers! You might end up hurting them too!"

Viola took out a Poké Ball. "Surskit, freeze the left stairs with Ice Beam!"

As Surskit appeared, it shot an icy beam from the top of its head, coating the stairs with ice. As the KrokoViles turned to look, they slipped on the ice and tumbled down the stairs.

Grant jumped up and grabbed the banister of the right staircase, climbing up to join the trainers. "Get Camille out of here, you guys. We'll stay here and deal with those freaks."

"Think you can handle them?" Marianne asked.

In response, Grant called out his Tyrunt. "Dragon Tail!"

Tyrunt's tail began to glow green. With a roar, he swung it around, bashing one KrokoVile back into the others and throwing them down the stairs.

"Does that answer your question?" Viola asked. "Now go!"

Rafi and Marianne nodded and ran out the door with Camille. Santos paused a moment and looked at the Gym Leaders. "You guys still owe Camille an apology, you know."

"Give us a call when this over," Grant shouted, dodging a KrokoVile's teeth.

"Will do!" With that, Santos set off after the others.

* * *

"Dragon Claw!" Zekronos raised his hands, which started to glow purple, and he charged forward to swipe at the Knights.

"Fire Sword, engage!" Tristan summoned his sword and used it to block Zekronos' attack. Zekronos then grabbed him with his free hand and lifted him up. Tristan responded by kicking the Poke-Mutant in the chin and then stabbing him in the wing, forcing him to drop Tristan.

Quinn and Electra raised their weapons and turned their attention to Sharphound.

"Flame Charge!" Sharphound yelled, his body catching fire as he ran towards them.

"Thunder Punch!" Electra raised her fist, which was covered in sparks, and punched Sharphound hard, interrupting his attack.

"My turn!" Quinn cried, raising his Leaf Dirks. "Dual Chop!" His blades began to glow purple and he ran forward, slashing Sharphound in his side with one dagger, turning on his heel and striking him again with the other.

Before Sharphound could recover, Electra swung her Thunder Hammer round and smashed him in the face, throwing him off the arena and into the river.

Seeing his friends' success, Tristan raised his sword and turned to Zekronos. "Here goes nothing... Blaze Kick!"

He ran forward, his one leg catching fire, and kicked Zekronos in the chest, driving him back.

Just then, Resharma swooped out of the sky towards them. "Dragon Pulse!"

A powerful beam of rainbow shot out of her mouth and slammed into Quinn and Electra, throwing them back.

Sharphound burst out of the water, grabbing onto the edge of the arena. "You took your time!"

"I had to set everything up on my end," Resharma replied, snatching him out the water. "Now come. It's time to withdraw."

"Very well!" Zekronos shoved Tristan aside and took to the air. "So long, Losers of Order!"

With that, the three Generals flew up into the sky and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Are you alright?" Tristan called to Quinn and Electra.

"We're fine," Electra replied, getting to her feet.

"I find that odd though," Quinn said, standing up too. "The Twins could have killed us at any point, but they didn't. Why?"

"Resharma said she was setting something up," Tristan recalled. "What did she mean by...?" He broke off with a gasp and turned to the others. "Camille!"

* * *

Outside the Chateau, Rafi quickly got on his communicator. "Gurkinn, we've got Camille and Santos. Get the Door open again."

"Rafi, wait!" Tristan called over the Morpher. "Resharma's set up some kind of trap outside!"

"Tristan's right," Gurkinn replied. "Lucario has just sensed the aura of a new Poké-Mutant in your area. I can't activate the Door while it's around."

"What are you talking about?" Marianne asked. "I don't see any-"

Suddenly, a dark shape dropped out of a tree and landed in front of them. Camille gasped, Santos and Rafi stared in horror and Marianne gulped. "Never mind, I think we found them."

The figure that stood before them looked a lot like a Gallade, except that it was purple and black instead of green and white. It wore a cloak that was patterned like a Seviper, coupled with a fanged hood partially covering its face. Its right arm was replaced by a Seviper's tail-blade.

"Greetings, Knights of Order," the figure said in a sultry whisper that sent shivers down Rafi's spine.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Marianne asked, stepping in front of Camille.

The figure removed its hood, revealing a head shaped like a Gallade's, but patterned exactly like Seviper, down to the gold circle in the forehead. "You may call me Seviplade, and I am here for the one formerly known as the Dragon Knight of Destruction."

"Not a chance!" Rafi snapped, raising his Bow. "If you want her, you'll have to go through us first."

With a simple nod, Seviplade raised his arms. "So be it."

Rafi fired three Feather Arrows in quick succession at Seviplade, who suddenly disappeared. As the arrows hit the tree, he reappeared again, behind Camille and Santos.

"Watch out!" Marianne brought up her Water Cannon and fired a stream of water at him.

"Night Slash!" Seviplade's right arm glowed purple as he swung it around, slicing through the water stream.

"What the...?" Marianne gasped.

"Double Team!" In the blink of an eye, Seviplade had created a dozen copies that surrounded Rafi and Marianne.

"Uh oh!" Rafi cried, looking around. "Which one's the real one?"

"Just shoot all of them!" Marianne yelled, firing her Cannon and making several copies vanish.

While the Knights were distracted, the real Seviplade jumped towards Camille. Santos quickly ran forward, fists raised. "Aerodactyl! We need you!"

With a loud screech, Aerodactyl swooped out of the sky and dived towards Seviplade, teeth bared. Without turning around, Seviplade jumped into the air and then spun around in midair and swiped Aerodactyl out of the sky. Then he landed behind Camille. "Yvestros sends his regards," he hissed.

Before anyone could react, he raised his blade and swiped Camille on her arm. With a cry, she fell to the ground, clutching her wound.

"CAMILLE!" Santos screamed.

By then, Rafi and Marianne had cleared away the clones, while Tristan, Quinn, Electra, Grant, and Viola had run out of the Chateau.

Seviplade smiled and pulled his hood back over his head. "My job here is done. Until we meet again, Knights of Order..." And with that, he vanished again.

Santos ran to Camille's side. "Are you alright?"

"I think so," Camille sighed, rubbing her arm. "He doesn't seem to have hurt me too badly."

Tristan quickly got back on his communicator. "Gurkinn, the Poké-Mutant has left the scene. You can bring the Door in now."

"Roger that," Gurkinn replied. "See you back at the Tower."

Seconds later, the Door appeared in the trunk of the tree.

"Take care of yourselves," Grant called.

"And Camille?" Viola added. "We're sorry about our behavior back there. Santos was right about you all along."

Camille smiled and nodded before she followed the Knights and Santos into the Door.

* * *

Resharma stood on the balcony at Yvestros' lair, overlooking the mountains. Moments later, Seviplade appeared next to her. "The deed is done, my Lady."

"Excellent work, Seviplade," Resharma beamed. "Sabelteur outdid himself when he created you. How soon until we see the effects?"

"Any minute now," Seviplade replied. "And by sundown, the traitor shall be a problem no more..."

* * *

"Welcome back to the Tower, Camille," Gurkinn beamed when the Knights emerged. "Makes a change to have you conscious this time, huh?"

"Order's Light, return!" Tristan called, making the Knights' armor disappear.

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky bounded off the console and ran up to Rafi.

"I still don't understand this," Camille muttered sadly. "You acted so kindly towards me, after everything that I've done to you."

"We told you, that wasn't your fault," Marianne said. "It was all the Dragon Knight's doing."

"But I was the Dragon Knight!" Camille argued.

"Not in the way that I remembered," Gurkinn countered. "Listen, Camille, a thousand years ago, I was the original leader of the Knights of Order."

"What?" Camille asked.

"There'll be time for that later. Anyway, I can tell you that there was indeed a Dragon Knight, but he got his powers from Salamence, not Garchomp. Therefore, I surmise that the armor you wore when you fought us was simply a by-product of Yvestros' evil spell. And that spell was what made you the Dragon Knight of Destruction until we destroyed the Morpher that controlled you."

"You see? That's what I wanted to tell you," Santos said, patting Camille's shoulder.

Camille smiled, feeling much better now. But suddenly, she gave a painful gasp.

"Camille? What's wrong?" Electra gasped.

"I don't know..." Camille panted. "It... hurts..." With that, she fell backward.

"Camille!" Immediately, Santos caught her before she hit the floor. He saw that her eyes were closed and her mouth contorted in pain. "Camille, speak to me!"

"Etna, Lucario, get her on the bed, quickly!" Gurkinn ordered.

As soon as she was settled on the bed, Gurkinn quickly switched on the medical scanners and focused it on Camille.

"What's wrong with her?" Quinn demanded.

"Is she okay?" Rafi added.

At last, the results came up and when Gurkinn read them, his face fell. "This cannot be..."

"What?" Tristan cried. "What can't it be?"

Gurkinn slowly turned to look at the others. "Camille has been poisoned!"

* * *

 _To be continued..._

 _ **NEXT TIME, on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:**_

 _Santos: I won't let this happen!_

 _Tristan: There must be some way to cure her!_

 _Gurkinn: There is one way, but it's almost impossible._

 _Marianne: I'll go._

 _Santos: So will I._

 _Resharma: Do not let them find it!_

 _Gurkinn: If we don't get the cure back before sunset, Camille will die._

 _Marianne: Time is running out!_

* * *

 **Yeah, haven't done one of those in a while. But the stakes are raised! Will the Knights of Order be able to save Camille? Stay tuned to find out.**

 **See you then**


	25. A Friend Indeed, Part 2

_Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _Camille returned to the Battle Chateau, hoping to train her Pokémon up to challenge Ramos. Unfortunately, she was cornered by Viola and Grant who were hoping for a chance for revenge. At the same time, Yvestros sent the Twins out to eliminate Camille. Luckily, Camille was saved first by Santos stopping the match and then by the Knights of Order protecting her from the Twins. But during the evacuation, the Knights were attacked by a mysterious Poké-Mutant named Seviplade, who managed to injure Camille before disappearing. When the Knights returned to base, Camille suddenly collapsed, and when Gurkinn scanned her, he discovered that she had been poisoned..._

* * *

Chapter 24: A Friend Indeed, Part 2

"Poisoned?" Tristan breathed, looking at the scanner. "How could this have happened?"

"Wait... that Poké-Mutant!" Marianne gasped, her eyes widening in shock. "Before he left, he managed to leave a mark on Camille. Do you think that's what happened?"

Gurkinn looked closely at Camille's arm, noting the purple veins creeping out from the scratch. "Something about this wound seems familiar..." He turned to Marianne and Rafi. "This Poké-Mutant... what was his name?"

"Seviplade," Rafi replied.

Upon hearing the name, Gurkinn froze, color fading from his cheeks. "No... They can't have brought him back..."

"You know that name?" Quinn asked, shocked to see the normally stoic Gurkinn looking so horrified.

"I'm afraid so," Gurkinn sighed. "Back in the days when the Twins were alive, Yvestros sent them to hunt down the original Knights of Order by any means necessary. While Zekronos made every effort to eliminate them mercilessly, Resharma was a lot more cunning. She helped Sabelteur create the ultimate assassin, someone who moves faster than the blink of an eye and kills anyone with just a single scratch. And the result was Seviplade."

"That's definitely who we saw back at the Chateau," Marianne recalled.

"And Seviplade lived up to his title," Gurkinn went on grimly. "In less than three days, he was able to kill five Knights of Order before he was eventually destroyed. You see, Seviplade's main weapon is coated in powerful venom that leaves its victims suffering a slow yet excruciating death, attacking the body and the soul."

"And is that what's happening to Camille?" Electra asked, tears in her eyes.

"Yes." Gurkinn bowed his head. "And now she's only got two hours before the venom completely kills her. At the rate she's going, she'll be dead by sunset."

Throughout the discussion, Santos had just been staring at Camille's sleeping form. Now he turned to face the Knights, his fists clenched in anger. "No! I won't let this happen! I refuse to let Camille die!"

The Knights were shocked by Santos' sudden outburst. Only Marianne and Etna were unperturbed.

"Santos is right," Etna agreed. "There must be some way to cure her!"

Gurkinn sighed and ran a hand through one eyebrow. "There is one way, but it's almost impossible to even get."

"Please," Santos begged. "I don't want to lose her."

Taking a breath, Gurkinn turned to face the Knights. "After Seviplade was destroyed, the Knights managed to find the one thing that could dissolve his venom: the petals of the Gracidea Flower."

"I've heard of that flower," Quinn recalled. "The Legendary Pokémon Shaymin visits that flower to change into its Sky Forme."

Rafi looked up Shaymin on his PokéDex, seeing a picture of a green and white hedgehog Pokémon. "Here it is. It's known as 'the Gratitude Pokémon. It can dissolve toxins in the air to instantly transform ruined land into a lush field of flowers. The blooming of Gracidea flowers confers the power of flight upon it.'"

"But I thought the Flowers only grew in the Sinnoh Region?" Tristan asked.

"Sometimes the seeds of the Gracidea Flower get stuck in Shaymin's fur and gets transported to other regions," Gurkinn replied. "As a matter of fact, there is a small field of Gracidea Flowers deep in the Winding Woods of Route 20, south of Snowbelle City. And that was where the Knights defeated Seviplade and saved the life of his last victim."

"I know about the Winding Woods," Etna said. "The road has many twists and turns, making it easy to get lost in there. Getting to that meadow will not be easy without someone who knows the way."

"That is true," Gurkinn agreed. "Even if we use the Transportation Door, there's no guarantee that we'll arrive at the correct field. The only way to get there is with a Flying Pokémon."

"I'll go," Santos announced immediately. "Camille was my friend once, and we promised to always look out for each other when we're in trouble. There's no way I'm letting her die!"

Marianne frowned as she looked at Santos. She was of course concerned about Camille, but she could also tell that Santos wasn't thinking straight. Someone needed to accompany him, to make sure he wouldn't make a costly mistake. "I'm coming with you."

"Then it's settled," Gurkinn said. "Get yourselves ready to leave. Camille's life depends on you!"

* * *

"I must congratulate you, Resharma," Yvestros beamed, clapping his hands. "Bringing back Seviplade to kill off the traitor... A most admirable plan!"

"It wasn't just me, my Lord," Resharma answered modestly. "My brother and Sharphound also contributed. After all, if they hadn't drawn the Knights' attention, then we would never have succeeded."

"Always willing to share the credit," Mothitelle beamed. "I knew there was a reason I liked you best."

"There is one concern though," Seviplade pointed out. "The original Knights were able to locate a cure to my deadly venom before they defeated me. The last thing I remember was being in a field of pink flowers."

"Luckily, we have been able to find that field," Sabelteur reported, pointing to an image on his screen. "This Spydove has been stationed south of a place called Snowbelle City. That meadow deep in the woods is just teaming with those flowers."

"Is it possible for us to destroy those flowers before the Knights can get to it?" Zekronos asked.

"Yes," Resharma replied. "I shall head to the field and burn every last flower I see."

"I'll come with you," Sharphound offered. "We can both get the job done quicker."

"In the meantime, I shall look for the other Knights myself," Seviplade said, before teleporting away.

* * *

Back at the Tower, Santos and Marianne were ready to leave. Etna had informed them that the western parts of Kalos were quite cold and snowy, so Santos now wore a black down jacket and brown jeans and Marianne had slipped on a blue hoodie, aqua jeans and gray boots.

"From Shalour City, it should take about half an hour to fly to Snowbelle City," Etna told them.

"That should give you about an hour or so to find the Gracidea field, get the nectar and fly back here," Rafi estimated.

"Doesn't give us much time," Marianne replied.

"Then let's get going!" Santos shouted. "Charizard, to the sky!"

With a hard flap of his wings, Charizard took off and was soon hovering over the Tower.

"Remember, you have to get that nectar back before sundown," Gurkinn called out. "Any later than that, and Camille will never make it!"

"Of course," Santos yelled back. "See you before then!"

"Arceus' speed, my friends!" Gurkinn replied.

Tristan and the others all waved as Charizard flew southwards over the city, carrying his passengers towards their only hope for Camille...

* * *

High in the sky above Kalos, a lone Dragonite flew through the clouds, keeping herself out of sight. In the time since she had been released from her trainer's team, she had traveled the world several times, training with wild Pokémon to improve herself.

She had no doubt that her trainer would want her back. After all, she knew that she had been under some kind of evil spell that made her say all those things, and it wasn't the first time that Dragonite had been shouted at before.

Just then, Dragonite spotted movement just beyond the clouds. Pausing in midair, she peeked out and spotted a Charizard flying south-east, carrying two people. At once, she recognized the trainers; it was the girl she and her trainer had met in Unova, and Santos!

She tilted her head to one side until she managed to catch a snatch of their conversation. They were talking about Camille and how she was in some kind of trouble. Instinct told her that she needed to get back to her, but she glanced back at the disappearing figures.

Eventually, she made her decision and flew off after them, still hidden in the clouds...

* * *

In a burst of black smoke, Sharphound and Resharma appeared at the edge of a meadow, surrounded by snow-covered trees. "Is this the place?" Sharphound asked.

"According to Sabelteur's readings, yes," Resharma replied.

Sharphound knelt down and picked one of the pink flowers growing in the meadow. "Hard to believe that this little thing prevented the end of the Knights… so small, and yet so fragile." With that, he spat a small flame at the flower, burning it up in an instant.

"We have our orders," Resharma said. "This meadow must be destroyed! Flamethrower!" She opened her mutated jaws and launched a stream of fire into the meadow. Dozens of wild Pokémon fled in terror as Sharphound ran into the meadow, shooting his own Flamethrower at the flowers.

In the midst of the chaos, one tiny white Pokémon took to the air and flew off into the forest…

* * *

"I think I can see the Woods now!" Santos called.

Marianne looked down and spotted the snow-covered forest below. "That has to be it. Let's land where we can."

"Charizard, take us down!" Santos cried.

With a loud roar, Charizard turned in midair and coasted into the forest, landing in a frosty meadow. As Marianne jumped off, she switched on her communicator. "Gurkinn, we've arrived at the Woods. How's Camille doing?"

But she only got static in reply.

"Gurkinn? Gurkinn, can you hear me?" When no response came, Marianne sighed and turned to Santos. "I'm not getting a signal."

"There must be some interference in Snowbelle," Santos assumed, jumping off his Pokémon. "How long do we have?"

Marianne looked up at the sky. "The sun's starting to go down already."

"Then we'd better hurry," Santos replied, recalling Charizard and setting off into the forest.

Marianne hurried after him. "You really care for Camille, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Santos stated, keeping his eyes fixed on his path. "She and I have been good friends for a very long time."

"Do you even know where you're going?"

"We're looking for the Gracidea Flowers, right?" Santos said. "So we shouldn't waste time and go find them, fast!"

Marianne felt a flare of anger surging through her body. She caught up to Santos and grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around. "Could you just stop for two seconds and think about what you're doing?"

"Two seconds?" Santos cried. "Every second we waste, Camille is inching closer to death!"

"And if you just wander around through the forest without any clear direction," Marianne countered, "you'll end up getting lost and lose even more time."

"We're already losing time by arguing!"

"Just calm down and think about why we're here."

"I'm trying to save Camille!"

"By going in a completely random direction?"

"She'd do the same for me!"

Marianne folded her arms. "No, she wouldn't."

"How would you know?" Santos shouted.

"Because she's my best friend!" Marianne yelled.

Santos' next words caught in his throat, and his angry expression faded. "W-What did you say?"

"I know that Camille was your best friend, but from what you told us, she came to Unova on her own." Marianne turned away and looked towards some trees. "I was one of the first people she met, and we traveled together through the region. We always watched each other's backs and planned our next moves beforehand."

She turned to face Santos again. "Believe me, I'm also scared to lose Camille, but stressing about it will get us nowhere. We've still got enough time to find the flowers before sunset. We just need to find out the direction to take. What do you say?"

Santos sighed and nodded. "Alright, I'll try my best."

Marianne smiled and was about to reach for her Poké Balls when…

" _Help! Somebody help us!_ "

Santos spun around. "Did you hear that?"

Marianne nodded, realizing that she'd heard the voice in her mind, just like the Zygarde Cores. "Who's out there?"

Moments later, a tiny white and green deer-like Pokémon with horn-shaped wings came fluttering out of the bushes. Marianne could see that its body was badly burnt and its eyes were drooping. Suddenly, it dropped out of the air, and Santos ran up and caught it before it hit the ground.

"Are you alright?" Santos asked, checking the Pokémon over.

" _Yes,_ " the Pokémon replied in the same voice they'd heard earlier. " _Please, I need your help._ " Just then, its body began to glow white.

"Whoa," Santos breathed.

Marianne just stared in amazement. Finally, the light faded, revealing a smaller hedgehog-like Pokémon with grassy prickles and a pink flower on each side of its head.

"Oh, my!" Santos gasped. "You're… You're Shaymin!"

"What happened, Shaymin?" Marianne asked.

" _The Gracidea Flowers are under attack!_ " Shaymin cried. " _Two horrible monsters appeared in the meadow and started breathing fire on everything. Please, you must save the Flowers!_ "

"Monsters?" Marianne gasped. "There are only two monsters I know that can breathe fire: Sharphound and Resharma!"

"Those villains," Santos growled. "They're trying to prevent us from curing Camille! We have to stop them!"

Marianne turned to the singed Gratitude Pokémon. "Shaymin, can you take us back to the Gracidea meadow?"

" _Of course,_ " Shaymin replied. " _But how are you going to fight those monsters?_ "

"Just watch." Marianne took out a Poké Ball with her left hand then pressed her Morpher's button. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

A torrent of water burst out of her Morpher, shot into the air and crashed back down on Marianne, forming her armor.

" _Wow!_ " Shaymin whispered in awe. " _You're like those Poké Rangers I've heard about from Hoenn._ "

"Down here, I'm known as a Knight of Order," Marianne replied before throwing out her Ball. "Blastoise, let's go!"

As Blastoise emerged ready to battle, Marianne turned to Santos. "Do you have any Water Pokémon to help out?"

Santos nodded and threw out his Poké Ball. "Frogadier, I choose you!"

As Frogadier appeared, he flipped in the air and landed on Blastoise's shoulder. " _Frogadier!_ "

"Which way to the meadow, Shaymin?" Marianne asked.

Shaymin pointed through the bushes with its snout. " _Straight through that way._ "

Placing Shaymin in the pocket of his jacket, Santos turned to Marianne and nodded. "Let's go!"

* * *

All was quiet at the Knights' Base, more than it had ever been. Gurkinn and Rafi were keeping watch on the computer screen, Lucario was in a deep trance, scanning the aura for trouble, and Etna and Quinn were sitting next to the comatose Camille's bed, monitoring her stats on the scanner.

"I feel so helpless," Quinn sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I wish there was more we can do."

"Don't worry," Etna reassured him. "I'm sure Marianne and Santos will be back soon."

Just then, Camille gave a loud groan and slowly opened her eyes. "Wh… where am I?"

"Camille!" Quinn breathed. "You're awake!"

Hearing Quinn's words, Gurkinn and Rafi quickly ran to her side as she struggled to sit up. "What happened?"

"Hey, hey, lie still," Gurkinn said quietly, placing his hands on Camille's shoulder. "Just take it easy."

Camille's face scrunched up in pain. "Owww… what's wrong with me?"

"You've been poisoned by that Seviplade guy from the Chateau," Rafi explained grimly. "And now you're dying…"

"Dying? That really sucks! " Camille sank back onto her pillow. "Where's Santos?"

"He and Marianne are working on getting a cure," Etna explained. "Meanwhile, we're trying to find Seviplade before he strikes again."

"I've sent Tristan and Electra back to the Chateau," Gurkinn added. "Hopefully, they'll pick up some clues there."

Just then, the Knights' communicators started beeping. Gurkinn answered the call. "This is Gurkinn."

"Hey, it's Tristan," came the reply.

"Any sign of Seviplade?" Gurkinn asked.

* * *

"Nothing yet," Tristan replied, standing outside the Chateau with Electra. "We've explored the whole grounds and haven't seen him yet."

"How are Viola and Grant?" Quinn asked.

"They'd already left," Electra said. "But they give their fondest regards to Camille."

"Have you heard from Marianne yet?" Tristan asked.

"I've been trying to get in touch, but there's some sort of interference around the area," Gurkinn responded. "Fortunately, Lucario is keeping track of them with his aura. He says they've reached the Woods and are heading in the direction of the meadow."

"Great," Tristan beamed. "They'll find that cure in no time. Alright, send out the Door so we can come back."

"How rude of you, leaving just as I've arrived."

Tristan and Electra whirled around at the voice. "Who's there?" Electra called.

In response, a hooded figure dropped from the sky and landed in the field before them. "We meet again, Knights of Order," he said, removing his hood.

"You!" Tristan gasped.

Seviplade smirked nastily. "So, how's your dear friend? Is she suffering badly from my poison? Well, don't worry. By the end of this hour, she will finally be able to rest in the throes of death!"

"You monster!" Electra growled.

"Aw, you really care about her, don't you?" Seviplade chuckled. "Well, I've got news for you two. You'll soon be joining her!"

"We'll see about that!" Tristan cried. "Electra, let's go!"

With a nod, Electra lifted her Morpher and pressed her button at the same time as Tristan. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

At their command, the elements of Fire and Electric shot out of their Morphers and struck their bodies, forming into their armor.

"Very well, then," Seviplade replied with a bow. "Looks like we're doing this the hard way." With that, he raised his right arm and charged.

"Weapons of Order, engage!" As the weapons appeared, Tristan held up his sword, blocking Seviplade's attack.

Electra ran in to strike back with her hammer. At the last second, Seviplade teleported away and she ended up hitting Tristan instead. "Oww!"

"Sorry," Electra said, turning to look around. "Where'd he go?"

"What's happening, Tristan?" Gurkinn called through the communicator.

"It's Seviplade," Tristan yelled. "He's back again!"

"Oh no," Gurkinn breathed.

* * *

"Seviplade's back?" Quinn gasped, jumping to his feet.

"We have to get out there and help!" Rafi cried.

"Lucario, get the Transportation Door ready," Gurkinn commanded. "Quinn, Rafi, get ready for battle!"

Quinn and Rafi raised their Morphers and pressed the buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

The elements of Grass and Flying burst out of their Morphers and crashed onto their bodies, forming their armor.

As they ran for the Door, Quinn stopped and turned to Gurkinn. "Aren't you coming?"

"Someone has to wait for Marianne and Santos to return," the older Knight replied. "Remember, you mustn't let Seviplade scratch you!"

"Good luck, guys!" Etna called.

"Hang in there, Camille!" Rafi said, before following Quinn through the Door.

* * *

"Burn, you little flowers, burn!" Sharphound laughed, setting another part of the meadow ablaze. "Soon, this field will be nothing but ash!"

"Lord Yvestros will be most pleased with our work," Resharma replied. "With the cure out of the picture, Seviplade will properly finish off the Knights of-"

"Water Pulse!"

Resharma spun around in time to receive a blue orb of water directly in her face, making her cry out in pain.

Sharphound looked around and saw Marianne running into the meadow, Water Cannon in hand. At her side were her Blastoise, Santos, and his Frogadier.

"Step away from those flowers!" Marianne shouted.

"Well, well, just one Knight of Order came?" Sharphound chuckled. "What chance have you got against us?"

"In case you've forgotten, I'm the Water Knight," Marianne retorted, raising her Cannon. "I can put out this fire."

"Even if you can, we've destroyed all of the flowers in the meadow," Resharma retorted, shaking the water off her face. "There's no way you can get the cure for your friend."

Santos gritted his teeth in anger. "Frogadier, hit them with Bubble!"

Frogadier grabbed some pieces of his frubble scarf and hurled them at Sharphound, driving him back.

"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" Marianne yelled.

Blastoise fired two jets of water at Resharma, drenching her hair and putting out the fire in the meadow.

Sharphound pulled a frubble off his armor and growled. "Why, you little…"

"No, Sharphound, we've done our part," Resharma called. "So long, Knight of Order."

"Stop!" Santos ran towards the Poké-Mutants, but they had already disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Order's Light, return!" As her armor faded, Marianne turned and looked around at the burnt-out meadow. "We're too late. Every single flower is dead."

Santos fell to his knees in the ash, tears welling in his eyes. "No… I've failed her…"

" _No need for tears,_ " Shaymin spoke, poking its head out of his pocket. " _Thanks to you, the monsters are gone._ "

"You don't understand," Marianne sighed. "We needed the Gracidea Flowers to save our friend, and now…"

But Shaymin just smiled and climbed out of Santos' pocket. " _Now that the meadow is safe again, I'll be able to do this._ "

Shaymin closed its eyes and focused. Santos and Marianne watched in amazement as the smoke was absorbed into its grass spines, turning its flowers black. Instantly, the meadow began to change, reverting back to its original state. Dozens of pink flowers blossomed around them, flooding the field around them. Then Shaymin began to glow. " _Seed Flare!_ "

Seconds later, there was an explosion, and when it cleared, Shaymin was looking much better. " _Thank you so much for your help. Please, take some of the Gracidea as a reward._ "

As Santos gratefully picked a bunch of flowers, Marianne looked up at the sky. To her horror, she saw that the sun was already sinking below the trees. "Oh no! Time is running out!"

"We have to get back to the Tower, fast!" Santos cried, recalling Frogadier and taking out Charizard's Poké Ball.

"Charizard won't be able to fly us back in time!" Marianne argued. "And I can't contact Gurkinn to get the Door to us!"

"Well, we can't give up yet!" Santos cried. "One thing I know about Camille is that when someone needed help, she'd never let anything stop her from helping out. And right now, she's counting on us to save her, and we're not gonna let her down now!"

Marianne opened her mouth to argue, but another voice beat her to it. " _Dragooooo!_ "

"I know that sound," Marianne gasped, looking up.

Moments later, a huge orange Pokémon burst out of the clouds, swooping down towards the meadow. Santos gasped in amazement. "A Dragonite!"

The Dragonite landed in front of Marianne and grabbed her in a hug. Marianne looked it over. "Wait… you're Camille's Dragonite, aren't you?"

"Camille's Dragonite?" Santos gasped. "I don't believe it… she was still a Dragonair when we finished Sinnoh."

"Camille said she released it while under Yvestros' control," Marianne recalled. "How did you find us?"

" _Dragoo, dragoo,_ " Dragonite replied.

"She says she heard us talking about Camille while we were flying down here," Santos translated. "She figured her trainer was in trouble and followed us here."

"Wait a minute," Marianne gasped. "Camille's Dragonite was a fast flyer. She can take us back to the Tower!"

"You're right!" Santos ran up to Marianne. "Dragonite, your trainer is in terrible danger! If we don't get these Flowers back to her, she'll die. Can you help us, please?"

Dragonite looked shocked for a moment then she lowered her body down. " _Dragoo._ "

"She says she will," Santos replied, climbing onto her back. "Come on."

Marianne knelt down and patted Shaymin's head. "Thank you so much for helping us."

" _No, thank you, Knight of Order,_ " Shaymin answered. " _Good luck!_ "

With a smile, Marianne climbed onto Dragonite and settled behind Santos. "Let's head back."

"Alright, Dragonite," Santos commanded. "Fly us back to Shalour City!"

" _Dragoo!_ " Dragonite took to the air and flew over the forest, faster than Charizard could fly.

Santos looked towards the gradually setting sun. "Don't worry, Camille. We're on our way!"

* * *

"Hold still, you stupid mutant!" Electra yelled, firing her Blaster at Seviplade. Each time the attacks got close to hitting, he'd teleport away.

Quinn and Tristan stood side by side, weapons drawn, keeping their eyes on Seviplade. "How can we catch something that moves so fast?" Tristan asked.

"We need some way to hinder his movements," Rafi called, dodging another attack from Seviplade.

"I might have an idea," Quinn said. "Try to corner him next time he appears."

Electra looked around and spotted Seviplade appearing by the tree. "There he is!"

"Let's get him!" Tristan yelled, running towards him with Rafi.

"Trying to rush me, huh?" Seviplade smiled. "Catch me if you can. Double Team!"

In an instant, the three Knights were surrounded by a dozen copies.

"Here goes nothing…" Quinn lifted his Dirk, which started to glow green and hurled it at the Seviplade copies. "Grass Knot!"

The instant the Dirk hit the ground, dozens of vines burst out. Tristan, Rafi, and Electra jumped out of the way quickly. The vines shot up and wrapped themselves around the legs of the copies, making them disappear. But the real Seviplade was caught in the vines. "Aahh, let me go!"

"Got you now!" Tristan cried, raising his sword.

But before he could attack, Mothitelle appeared above Seviplade. "Not so fast, Knights of Order! You think you've won, but Seviplade has only just begun to fight! Power Spore!"

With a flap of her wings, she sprinkled her magic powder over the trapped Seviplade. The Knights ran back as the Poké-Mutant assassin began to grow, breaking free of the vines.

"Now this is what I'm talking about!" Seviplade laughed.

Tristan quickly got on his communicator. "Release the PokéZords!"

* * *

Gurkinn ran over to the controls and slammed his hand on the button that opened the Zords' garages. Four of the Zords activated and charged towards the Door.

"Would four be enough to stop Seviplade?" Etna asked.

"Not on their own," Gurkinn admitted. "But they'll have to do their best until Marianne and Santos get back."

* * *

As the Zords appeared on the field, the Knights were transported into their cockpits.

"Time to even the sides," Tristan cried.

"Without Marianne, we can't form the Megazord," Quinn pointed out.

"Then we'll just have to cope for now," Rafi replied, throwing his stick forward. "Sky Drop!"

The Pidgeot Zord took to the air and flew towards Seviplade. The Poké-Mutant turned and jumped towards the Zord. "Poison Tail!"

His right arm glowed purple and he swiped it round, knocking the Zord out of the air. "Whoa!" Rafi gasped.

"Leave him alone!" Tristan yelled, pressing some buttons. "Flare Blitz!"

The Blaziken Zord caught fire and charged at Seviplade. At the last second, Seviplade teleported away, reappearing behind the Sceptile and Ampharos Zords.

"Get him!" Electra cried. "Thunder Punch!"

"Leaf Blade!" Quinn called.

As the two Zords swung their arms out to attack, Seviplade disappeared again, resulting in the Zords hitting each other accidentally.

"Oh man, this is not good at all," Tristan cried.

* * *

Camille let out a painful groan, shifting on her bed. "Santos… Where are you?"

"She's in the final stages of the poison," Gurkinn sighed. "She's only got about five minutes left."

Etna bowed her head sadly, accepting the inevitable…

" _Lucar, lucario!_ " Lucario shouted, running up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Gurkinn called.

Seconds later, Lucario reappeared at the stairs, followed closely by Marianne and Santos.

"You're back!" Etna cheered. "Did you get the flowers?"

"Right here." Santos pulled out a bunch of flowers from his jacket pocket. "Where are the others?"

"Fighting with Seviplade," Gurkinn replied, taking the flowers and moving to Camille's bed. "Marianne, you need to get into your Zord and help them."

"On it." Marianne pressed the button on her Morpher. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

Once her armor had formed, she ran towards her Zord and disappeared in a flash of light.

Gurkinn took some flowers, pulled off the petals and dropped them into a teapot, already full of boiling water. After a minute, he poured the liquid into a cup and gently tipped it into Camille's mouth, lifting her chin to help her swallow.

Santos and Etna watched nervously, hoping for the best…

* * *

"Night Slash!" Seviplade charged forward, slicing into the Blaziken Zord.

"We're taking too much damage!" Tristan gasped.

"It's over, Knights of Order!" Seviplade gloated, pointing at the sky.

The Knights turned just in time to see the sun disappearing over the horizon. "Oh no!" Electra gasped.

"Your friend should already be dead by now," Seviplade laughed. "And soon, you're next!"

"Wrong, Seviplade! Ice Beam!"

Suddenly, two icy bolts struck Seviplade, trapping his body in a block of ice. "AARRRGGH! Not again!"

"Marianne!" Quinn called, seeing the Blastoise Zord joining them. "If you're back, then that means…"

"Camille's gonna be okay," Marianne finished. "We got the cure back just in time."

"WHAT?!" Seviplade shouted. "You undid my poison?"

"Now the tables have turned," Tristan cried, slamming his hand on the red button. "Megazord of Justice Transformation, activate!"

Each PokéZord flashed white as the command was issued. First, the Blaziken Zord jumped into the air, its arms folding back into its body. At the same time, the Blastoise Zord withdrew its head and limbs into its shell, which opened up on the front and fused over the Blaziken Zord's body, creating the main torso.

Next, the Sceptile and Ampharos Zords lay down on their stomachs and folded in their limbs and tails as they straightened up, the heads resting on their chests. The bottom half joined onto the main torso, forming the legs.

Then, the Pidgeot Zord took to the air, its head and tail folding into its body which then split in half. Each half then joined to either side of the torso upside down, so that the legs formed the arms, while the wings folded over the front of the torso. The completed Megazord landed on the ground, the Blaziken's beak opening up to reveal a more humanoid face.

"Megazord of Justice, ready!" the Knights yelled in the main cockpit as the robot raised its arms.

"Mega Sword, engage!" Tristan yelled, summoning the sword into the MegaZord's hands.

"You may kill me," Seviplade cried. "But others will come and destroy you!"

"They're certainly welcome to try," Tristan retorted, throwing his stick out. "Order Slash!"

The MegaZord raised its glowing sword and swung it around, slicing into Seviplade. The Poké-Mutant gave a final cry before exploding at last.

"And don't ever come back!" Marianne yelled.

* * *

"Seviplade has been destroyed," Sabelteur reported. "And the Knights have found the cure."

"Impossible!" Resharma yelled. "How could they have fixed the damage we did to the meadow?"

"We clearly underestimated the Knights' powers," Zekronos growled. "We need a new plan to fight back."

Resharma then spotted something in the corner of Sabelteur's lab. "What is that thing?"

"Oh, that's just the last thing we saved following the Dragon Knight's failure," Sabelteur replied. "I've repaired it as much as I could, but without its pilot, it's pretty much useless."

Zekronos looked it over and rubbed his chin. "Hmmm, I wonder…"

* * *

"I'm so glad you're feeling better," Santos beamed, leading Camille up the Base's stairs. "If you had died, I'd never forgive myself…"

"I can't believe you and the Knights were willing to save me," Camille said. "Even after everything I did…"

"Now you know that you can trust them," Santos replied. "And they're not the only ones…"

As they stepped out of the Tower into the night, Camille saw someone that made her gasp. "Dragonite?!"

"She came to us back in the Woods," Santos explained. "Without her speed, we never would have made it back in time." He turned to her with a smile. "She's never forgotten you after all this time. Go to her."

Camille ran over to her Pokémon, tears in her eyes. "Dragonite!"

The Dragon Pokémon turned at her cry and smiled.

"Dragonite, I-I'm so sorry I let you go," Camille sobbed. "Yvestros had full control of my emotions, so I acted mostly under his command. I know you'd never betray me and that you are a very strong and dependable partner." She took out her Safari Ball and held it out. "So, would you please give me a chance to start anew and finish our journey through Kalos, together?"

Dragonite hesitated for a moment then she raised her hand and placed it on the Ball's button. The Ball opened up and absorbed Dragonite into it, the button flashing to show her recapture.

Camille sniffed and placed the Ball on her forehead. "No matter what happens," she whispered, "I'll never let you leave my side again…"

Santos walked over and placed his arm around her shoulder, saying nothing and just letting the moment happen…

* * *

While the other Knights and Etna left to retire for the night, Gurkinn picked up his Holo Caster and dialed a number.

After a few rings, Clemont answered. "Hey, Gurkinn. How are things going?"

"We managed to save Camille," Gurkinn replied. "But it was a near thing."

"That's good," Clemont sighed in relief.

"So how's our project coming along?"

"I've finished the basic design," Clemont explained. "Hopefully, this will help out in our battle against Yvestros."

Gurkinn looked behind Clemont, seeing the shadowy shape of a giant winged Pokémon. "Trust me, Clemont, we might have some chance yet…"

* * *

 **And this chapter is finally done!**

 **It's good to be back. Massive apologies for the delay, I ended up falling victim to that terrible writer's affliction; procrastination. This is mainly due to my completing an online course on proofreading, which I passed.**

 **But anyway, Camille is now safe from harm and reunited with her beloved Dragonite. But what is this secret project that Clemont and Gurkinn are working on? Well, you'll just have to wait and see.**

 **See you next time**


	26. Welcome to the Team

_Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order:_

 _Camille's life was at stake after being poisoned by Seviplade, a Poké-Mutant assassin from Gurkinn's past. The Knights learned that the only cure was the Gracidea flower, found in the Winding Woods. When Santos and Marianne went to find the cure, they found Resharma and Sharphound destroying the meadow with their fire. With help from the Legendary Pokémon Shaymin and Camille's Dragonite, Santos and Marianne were able to bring the flowers back in the nick of time, and Marianne helped the other Knights to destroy Seviplade once and for all…_

* * *

Chapter 25: Welcome to the Team

"Salamence, use Flamethrower!"

At Camille's command, Salamence flew through the air and launched a stream of fire from his mouth.

"Dodge it, Aerodactyl, then use Ice Fang!" Santos yelled.

As Aerodactyl swooped past the flames, her fangs began to glow blue and bolts shaped like teeth formed in front of her. With a cry, she dived towards Salamence's wings…

"Don't think so," Camille smiled. "Dragonite, stop her with Aqua Tail!"

Dragonite soared towards Aerodactyl, her tail surrounded by water as she swung it round, striking Aerodactyl before she could bite Salamence. As Aerodactyl fell, Santos' Charizard flew up and caught her in midair.

"Wow!" Tristan cried from the sidelines. "Look how strong Dragonite is!"

"Yep, she's a tough one alright," Marianne replied. "I've only fought her once, but that Dragonite just cannot be beat."

"I wouldn't want to face her in battle," Rafi said while watching the fight. "But we may have to face her when we enter the Pokémon League."

" _Mincci,_ " Lucky agreed.

Quinn and Electra just watched the battle in silence. Over the past two days, Santos and Camille had spent some time catching up on old times, trying to ignore the traumatic events of Camille's servitude to Yvestros and her near-death experience. Santos had then offered to give her some advice for her upcoming Gym battles and see how strong her Pokémon had become.

"Good defense, but how good is your team tactics?" Santos replied. "Aerodactyl, Iron Head! Charizard, Dragon Claw!"

Aerodactyl's head began to glow and she dived towards Salamence. At the same time, Charizard's claws flashed green as he flew to attack Dragonite.

"Salamence, Protect!" Camille shouted.

Flapping in front of Dragonite, Salamence summoned a glowing green shield around them both, stopping Charizard and Aerodactyl's attacks.

"Now, Dragonite, hit Aerodactyl with Focus Punch!"

As the shield faded, Dragonite flew up and raised her glowing fist…

"Charizard, Blast Burn!" Santos yelled.

With a roar, Charizard was covered in bright blue flames. Then he launched a powerful jet of flame from his mouth, striking Dragonite and cancelling her attack.

"Whoa!" Tristan gasped. "What was that?"

"That's Blast Burn, one of the elemental Hyper Beam attacks," Marianne explained. "It can only be used by the fully-evolved forms of the Fire Starters."

"Looks like Dragonite's in trouble," Electra realized. "That attack really hurt her."

"Aerodactyl, Ancient Power!" Santos called.

Aerodactyl's body flashed white as she summoned a glowing ball that she launched at Salamence, blasting him out of the sky.

"Oh no!" Camille gasped. "Catch him, Dragonite!"

Shaking off the fire, Dragonite flew towards the falling Salamence.

"Now Iron Head, once again!" Santos called.

Once again, Aerodactyl swooped down, her head beginning to glow, and she slammed right into Salamence, pushing him into Dragonite and sending them both into the ground. When the dust cleared, both Dragon-Types were knocked out.

"Santos wins the battle!" Etna declared, pointing her arm.

Marianne ran over to Camille as she comforted Dragonite. "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry about it," Camille sighed. "It's hardly a surprise at this point. Santos was the only trainer who could beat her in battle. I thought things would be different when she evolved."

"You always had some difficulty with using her in double battles," Santos said, coming up to her. "Dragonite needs to learn that she can't always do things on her own."

"Salamence did his best too," Camille pointed out. "You saw how he used Protect to help out-"

"Until you told Dragonite to use Focus Punch," Santos cut in. "If you really wanted to gain the advantage, you should have ordered the attack then commanded Salamence to use Protect. That would have given Dragonite enough time to charge and then she would have been able to hit. What's more, Dragonite let her guard down when you sent her to catch Salamence. That's why they both fell in battle."

Camille frowned and turned away. Santos knelt down next to her. "Hey, don't worry. You know you can count on me to help you."

Camille nodded.

"Maybe I can help too," Etna chipped in. "After all, Ramos gave me a hard battle too. I could help you out if you want."

"I think that would be nice," Santos beamed.

"In the meantime, we'll head back to the Pokémon Center," Marianne said. "Tristan and Rafi won't get anywhere just hanging around Shalour City."

"Right," Electra agreed. "If we leave soon, we can get a good start to Courmarine City."

"I'll go pack up my camp," Quinn said. "Shall we meet back here afterward?"

"Sure," Tristan replied, waving as Quinn set off down the street. "See you later."

As the other Knights walked into town, Electra glanced towards the Tower of Mastery. "We should pop in and see if Gurkinn's not too busy."

"Good luck with that," Marianne scoffed. "Ever since we saved Camille, he's been working on something top secret."

"I overheard him talking to Clemont the other day," Rafi replied. "They mentioned some sort of secret project. That was before he locked us out of the Base."

"It must be something important," Tristan replied. "But we shouldn't worry about it just yet. We need to focus on our next Gym Battle."

* * *

Meanwhile, at Yvestros' lair, the Twins were about to make an announcement. They stood before Yvestros' throne with Sabelteur while Sharphound and Mothitelle stood next to him.

"So what's so important that you needed us all to be here?" Yvestros asked wearily.

"As you all know," Resharma started, "we've been so focused on trying to get rid of the traitor that we forgot our true goal."

"The conquest of Kalos and the destruction of the Knights of Order!" Zekronos shouted.

"Sabelteur has told us that you, my Lord, would have taken over the region ten times over," Resharma went on. "But one thing has always stood in your way."

"We know what it is," Sharphound cut in. "Every time we revive a monster, the Knights would bring out their PokéZords and obliterate it!"

"Exactly," Resharma agreed. "That's why my brother and I have come up with a brilliant four-step plan to destroy the PokéZords."

"Interesting," Yvestros said, rubbing his chin. "Let's hear it."

"First, let me introduce my newest monster," Sabelteur announced, before turning around and giving a whistle.

Within minutes, a giant silver Chesnaught monster with the head of a Bastiodon entered the room, growling eagerly.

"His name is Bastille," Sabelteur explained. "And he's one of the strongest monsters I've ever created. With his Spiky Shield and brute strength, he can resist any attack the Knights throw at him."

"So step one in the plan is luring the Knights out into the open," Resharma said. "Step two, we send Bastille out to attack them. Step three, we enlarge him and he will turn those PokéZords into scrap metal."

"Sounds good," Mothitelle said. "But he doesn't seem like a smart monster. How will he be able to attack them?"

"That's where we come in," Resharma replied. "With a little clever magic of my own, we can effectively turn Bastille into our very own PokéZord when he's affected by your Power Spore."

"Then we can take control of him and give the Knights of Order a real battle!" Zekronos declared.

"Didn't you say you had a fourth step in the plan?" Sharphound pointed out.

"How right you are," Zekronos chuckled, putting an arm around Sharphound's shoulder. "For that step, we need you to take control of our final piece in the plan…"

* * *

"There, all packed up," Quinn sighed, zipping his bag closed before turning to his Pokémon. "Thanks for the help, guys. We made good time."

Sceptile nodded, Roselia rubbed the back of her head with a smile, Leafon wagged his leafy tail and Floette did a pirouette in midair.

"Alright, I'll grab some water from the river. Then we can head back to town."

Once he reached the river, he took out a canteen and dipped it in, filling it up with water.

" _Froakie?_ "

"Huh?" Quinn turned around and saw a Pokémon staring at him from a rock in the river. The Pokémon looked like a small blue frog with yellow eyes and white hands, wearing a white bubbly scarf. "A Froakie? I've never seen one in the wild before."

The Bubble Frog Pokémon cocked its head to one side then bounded to the river bank in one leap. " _Froakie!_ "

"Wow, you're pretty nimble." Quinn stood up and packed his canteen then walked over to Froakie. "I wonder where you came from, little guy?"

Before he could touch it, Froakie hopped out of reach, glaring at him. As Quinn took another step closer, Froakie turned and hopped away into the bushes.

"Wait!" Quinn called, but Froakie was already gone. "Oh well, I better head back to the park. Don't want to keep the others waiting."

As he turned to rejoin his Pokémon, he failed to notice that Froakie was also making its way towards the city…

* * *

"Hmmm," Etna muttered as she examined Camille's Pokémon. Besides Dragonite and Salamence, Camille had Fletchinder, Gogoat, Eevee, and Fennekin on her team. "These are some pretty good Pokémon you've got."

"I know Salamence and Dragonite," Santos agreed. "But where did the other Pokémon come from?"

"Fletchinder was the first Pokémon I caught here," Camille explained. "I rescued Gogoat from Lumiose City after his passenger mistreated him. I met Eevee at Route 10 before… before Yvestros captured me. And this Fennekin was given to me by…" She paused for a moment, looking over at Etna. "By Malva."

Etna gasped and covered her mouth. "You met Aunt Malva?"

"Yes." Camille sighed. "She was so kind to me."

"This is amazing!" Etna cried. "I haven't seen or heard from her in two years, not since I left Kalos to explore the world." She grabbed Camille in a hug. "Please, tell me where she is."

Before Camille could reply, Quinn came running up. "Hey, guys."

"Hey, Quinn," Santos called. "You're back quickly."

"Packing camp is easy with your Pokémon," Quinn replied. "Looks like the others aren't back yet."

"That's too bad! The show is about to begin!"

Quinn, Santos, Etna, and Camille whirled round, just as Sharphound appeared, flanking by over a dozen KrokoViles.

"Not again!" Santos cried.

Quinn looked around, seeing the panicked people running out the park. "I can't morph yet. Better call the others." He raised his Morpher and activated the communicator. "Guys, come in."

"What's up, Quinn?" Tristan asked.

"I'm back at the park. It's being attacked by Sharphound and some KrokoViles, but there are too many people around."

"Why didn't Gurkinn warn us about this?" Rafi asked.

"It doesn't matter," Electra cut in. "We need to get out there and help."

"Hang tight, Quinn, we're on our way," Marianne replied.

"How can we help out?" Santos asked as the KrokoViles charged into the park.

"Send out any Pokémon that can fight back," Quinn replied, calling out Leafeon. "Don't let those KrokoViles hurt anyone."

As Camille called back all but Gogoat, Etna sent out her Pyroar while Santos brought out Raichu. Quinn nodded and turned to run into battle. "Let's go!"

Hearing the shout, Sharphound turned around. "Well, well, if it isn't the Grass Knight. Where are the other Knights?"

"Leafeon, drive the KrokoViles back with Razor Leaf!" Quinn shouted.

Jumping into the air, Leafeon swung his tail around, throwing a volley of leaves at the KrokoViles. As the leaves hit them, the monsters stumbled back, crying out in pain.

Santos and Etna jumped into a double kick, taking out a KrokoVile each. "Pyroar, Headbutt!" Etna called.

With a growl, Pyroar charged into the fray, bashing two KrokoViles with her head.

"Raichu, hit them with Iron Tail!" Santos yelled.

Raichu grabbed the tip of his tail and spun it around as it began to glow. " _Raiiii-CHU!_ " He then threw out his tail, swiping three KrokoViles off their feet.

Quinn ran at Sharphound and delivered a punch right in his face. Sharphound swung out his arms down to strike back and Quinn blocked the attack, wincing as the blades cut into his bare flesh.

"I'm coming, Quinn!" Camille called, riding in on Gogoat's back.

At the last second, Sharphound jumped aside and Gogoat ended up ramming into Quinn by mistake, knocking them both down and throwing Camille off his back.

"So, the traitor returns," Sharphound sneered. "Time I did what Seviplade failed to do. Shadow Fire!" He opened his mouth and launched a stream of black flames.

Unable to move aside, Camille could only watch helplessly as the flames drew closer towards her…

Suddenly, a blue shape leapt out of the bushes right into the path of the flames, taking the attack in her place.

"What?" Sharphound gasped.

Getting to his feet, Quinn gasped as he saw who, or rather what had saved Camille. "You!"

" _Froakie…_ " The Bubble Frog Pokémon crashed to the ground, his body burned from Sharphound's attack.

"I don't have time to deal with this," Sharphound growled. "Shadow Claw!" He raised a glowing fist and swung it towards the weakened Froakie…

But then, Camille charged into Sharphound, pushing him away from Froakie. "Leave him alone!"

Seeing their leader fall, the remaining KrokoViles turned away from Santos and Etna and charged towards her, only to get struck by a volley of laser fire.

Sharphound turned to see Tristan, Rafi, Marianne, and Electra running into the park, fully morphed and their Blasters drawn.

"Guys, you made it!" Quinn cheered.

"The park is clear now," Tristan called. "Come and help us."

"Camille, take that Froakie and get out of here!" Quinn ordered. "Santos, Etna, take her back to the Tower."

Picking up Froakie, Camille climbed onto Gogoat's back. "Good luck, guys," she called, going after Santos and Etna.

Quinn then raised his Morpher and pressed the button. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

As Quinn's armor appeared, Tristan turned to the Poké-Mutant General. "You're outnumbered now, Sharphound. Might as well give up!"

"Outnumbered, maybe, but he's certainly not outclassed!"

"Uh oh," Marianne gasped as the Twin Generals appeared behind Sharphound, followed by a Chesnaught-Bastiodon monster.

"About time you showed up," Sharphound snapped.

"Our first step required all the Knights to be here," Resharma replied. "Now it's time for step two."

"Meanwhile, you retreat and make ready for step four," Zekronos ordered.

"You got it," Sharphound replied before vanishing.

"So, now it's just us against you, huh?" Tristan said, smirking under his helmet. "Let's do this! Weapons of Order, engage!"

Drawing his sword, Tristan charged towards the Twins and the new monster.

"Bastille, Spiky Shield!" Resharma ordered, taking to the air with Zekronos.

In response, the monster slammed his fists together, summoning a green shield around him. Undaunted, Tristan swung his sword down against the shield, only to get thrown back with a cry of pain and crash to the ground.

"Nice try, Fire Knight!" Zekronos laughed. "That Shield did more damage to you than you did to Bastille."

"Then how about this for size? Air Slash!" Rafi raised his Bow and fired an arrow that seemed to slice through the air.

"Leaf Storm!" With a swing of his Dirks, Quinn summoned a gale of leaves and launched them after Rafi's arrow.

"Iron Defense, Bastille!" Zekronos commanded.

Bastille folded his arms behind his head and his body flashed white, blocking the arrow and the leaves.

"That didn't work!" Quinn gasped.

"Let's try a combo attack, Electra!" Marianne called. "Hydro Pump!" She fired a torrent of water from her Cannon.

"Thunder Shock!" Electra swung her Hammer into the water stream, electrifying it.

"Endure, Bastille!" Resharma shouted.

Bastille braced himself and the electrified water washed over him without any effect.

"Just give up already, Knights!" Zekronos yelled. "You'll never win against Bastille!"

"We'll see about that." Tristan took out his Blaster and flicked its secret switch. "Powering Blasters!"

The other Knights did the same thing with their Blasters and took aim.

"Overheat!" Tristan fired a powerful hot beam.

"Aeroblast!" Rafi shot out a deadly vortex of wind.

"Water Spout!" Marianne launched a high-pressured stream of water.

"Solar Beam!" Quinn blasted a beam of light brighter than the sun.

"Zap Cannon!" Electra let loose a cannon-blast of electricity.

The five elemental beams met in the middle, fusing together into a great surge of energy.

"Ultimate Elemental Blast!" the Knights yelled.

"Bide!" Resharma called.

As Bastille began to glow red, an energy beam shot out from the surge and slammed into his body, causing a massive explosion that covered the park in a cloud of smoke.

"We got him now!" Tristan cheered.

The Knights watched as the smoke began to clear… only to reveal a glowing Bastille still standing.

"What?" Marianne gasped.

"Impossible!" Rafi cried.

"Okay, Bastille," Zekronos called. "Time to show them what that attack feels like. Release the Bide!"

With a roar, Bastille unleashed a beam twice as powerful as the Elemental Blast, striking the Knights and sending them flying. As they hit the ground, their armor started to spark wildly.

"Oww…" Electra groaned.

"That was intense," Rafi moaned.

"One more hit like that, and we're toast," Tristan agreed painfully.

"Excellent," Zekronos cheered. "Bastille has the Knights on their knees!"

"How true," Resharma agreed. "Mothitelle, it's time to commence step three!"

With a burst of smoke, Mothitelle appeared over Bastille.

"What are you doing here?" Quinn yelled as the Knights got to their feet. "Usually you only show up when a monster's defeated."

"Thought I'd cut out the middleman for a change," Mothitelle replied with a shrug. "And now it's time we cut _you_ down to size. Power Spore!"

With that, she flapped her wings and sprinkled her spore onto Bastille. The Poké-Mutant let out an angry bellow as he grew taller and taller. Two windows appeared in the top markings on his head.

"We'll take it from here," Resharma called.

As Mothitelle disappeared, the Twins flew into the holes in Bastille's head. Resharma took her place in the right window while Zekronos settled into the left window.

"Uh oh, that's not good," Marianne gulped.

"We'd better get some back-up," Tristan cried, pressing his Morpher's button. "Release the PokéZords!"

* * *

At the Tower, Santos, Etna, and Camille ran down the secret stairs into the Knights' Base, looking around urgently.

"Gurkinn?" Etna called. "Gurkinn, where are you?"

"Just give me a second!" Gurkinn's voice replied from one of the garages.

"We don't have a second!" Santos yelled. "The Knights of Order need your help!"

Camille, who was still carrying Froakie, noticed a flashing light on the control bank. "What's that?"

"Oh no, the Knights are calling their PokéZords!" Etna gasped.

"What?!" Suddenly, Gurkinn burst out of the garage, his face streaked with oil. Lucario came running out after him. "Why didn't you say so?"

Reaching the bank, he slammed his hand on the flashing button. Instantly, the other garages opened and the PokéZords stomped into view. Gurkinn then activated the Transportation Door, allowing the Zords to pass through.

"Lucario, switch on the screen," Gurkinn commanded. "I need to see what the Knights are dealing with."

With a nod, Lucario flicked a switch and the others looked up at the screen…

* * *

"Come on, Gurkinn, respond!" Tristan yelled. "What's taking him so long?"

"Wait, look!" Quinn cried, pointing down the street.

Tristan turned and saw the PokéZords appearing out the Door. "Let's go!"

As the Knights ran towards their respective Zords, Resharma turned to her brother and smiled. "Those poor fools, they've fallen right into our hands."

"Time to get Sharphound in," Zekronos replied. "It's time to initiate step four!"

The Zords shot beams of light at their respective owners, transporting them into the cockpits.

"Do you think we can take on Bastille with the Zords?" Marianne asked over the communicator.

"Individually, no," Quinn replied. "We could combine together, but how will we get any damage done to him?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Tristan said. "Let's get it going!"

But just as Tristan reached for the red button, a loud earthshaking roar drew the Knights' attention.

"What was that?" Rafi asked nervously.

"I've heard that sound before," Electra muttered. "That was back when we were attacked by-"

"DRAGON RUSH!"

Suddenly a blue streak of light, shaped like a dragon's head, shot between the Blaziken and Sceptile Zords, throwing them off their feet.

"Ahh!" Tristan gasped.

"What just happened?" Quinn groaned.

" _I_ happened!" was Sharphound's reply.

The other Knights turned around and saw, landing next to Bastille, something they never thought they'd see again. "The Garchomp PokéZord!" Electra finished in horror.

"I thought we destroyed that thing when we saved Camille!" Marianne cried.

"You thought wrong, Knights of Failure!" Sharphound retorted.

"Now we really need the MegaZord of Justice," Rafi urged.

"You got it," Tristan cried, hitting the button. "Megazord of Justice-"

"Not this time!" Sharphound yelled. "Dual Chop!"

The Garchomp Zord's arm blades began to glow as it surged forward, striking the Blaziken Zord just as it jumped then the Blastoise Zord before it could start its transformation.

"Whoa!" Marianne gasped, shaken by the attack.

"Oh no, he's stopped the Megazord formation!" Electra gasped.

"I'll stop him!" Rafi cried, pulling his joystick back. "Air Cutter!"

The Pidgeot Zord took to the air and flapped its wings, sending powerful blasts of wind at the Garchomp Zord.

"Bastille, Iron Defense!" Resharma commanded.

Running in front of the Garchomp Zord, Bastille raised his arms and his body flashed white, protecting them both from the attack.

"Let's try and surround them!" Quinn decided. "Electra, go left. Rafi, go above them. I'll come in from the right."

The three Zords charged in from their given positions.

"Don't think that defense is all that Bastille's about," Zekronos warned. "Needle Arm!"

Bastille raised his arms, which began to glow green, and swung them out, striking both the Ampharos and Sceptile Zords.

"Hang on, guys!" Rafi called. "Sky Drop!"

The Pidgeot Zord opened its talons, ready to grab Bastille.

"Dragon Claw!" Sharphound yelled, slamming some buttons on the console.

The Garchomp Zord jumped into the air, its claws glowing, and struck the Pidgeot Zord in the chest, knocking it out of the sky.

"Mayday, mayday!" Rafi yelled before his Zord crashed to the ground.

"Face it, Knights of Order," Zekronos laughed. "You're no match for us!"

* * *

Santos gasped in horror, watching the battle on the screen. "This is not good. The Knights are completely outmatched!"

"I can't believe they brought that Zord back," Camille sniffed, covering her eyes with one hand. "There's no chance they can win this one!"

"Don't say that!" Etna snapped. "The Knights have faced tougher odds than this. I know they can do it."

"How?" Santos yelled. "They can't even get into their Megazord form."

Throughout the argument, Gurkinn had been watching the fight in silence. Now he slowly smiled. "This could be perfect."

"Huh?" Santos and Etna turned to him in surprise.

Gurkinn turned back to the garage. "Clemont, how soon will it be done?"

"Just a few more couplings and…" They heard a zapping noise, followed by the sound of something powering up. "There! It's finished!"

"Excellent!" Gurkinn cheered. "The timing couldn't have been better."

"What are you talking about?" Santos demanded. "What is in there? Why have you been keeping it secret? And why are not so concerned about the Knights right now? TELL US!"

Gurkinn sighed and turned to look at Santos. "I understand your concern for them, really I do. But what Clemont and I have built in there might be the key to helping them. And for that, we need someone capable of using it…" He then turned to the others. "Camille?"

"Yes?" she replied, looking up.

Gurkinn walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Camille, these last few weeks have been nothing short of bad. In fact, I can say that you believe them to be some of the worst weeks of your life."

Camille nodded sadly.

"So…" Gurkinn took in a breath. "How would you like the chance to set things right?"

Camille stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"Yvestros used you as his soldier to fight the Knights of Order. But now, it is time for you to fight alongside them, take the fight to Yvestros." Gurkinn took out the Dragon Knight medallion and held it out to her. "The choice is yours…"

Hearing this, Santos gasped, his anger disappearing.

Camille stared at the medallion for a long time then shook her head. "I don't know if I can. I've caused so much trouble to the Knights of Order, would they accept me?"

"Of course they would," Etna replied, coming to her side. "They saved your life many times after you were freed. This could be your chance to repay the debt."

Camille then turned to her closest friend. "Santos?"

"Take it," he replied simply. "You've saved the world so often in the past. Why break the streak now?"

"But-"

"Camille, you are a good person. I know that for a fact. I saw you risking your life to save that Froakie. The mind-controlled you would never have done that." Santos took Camille's hand and looked into her eyes. "I know you can do this. Don't let this opportunity pass."

" _Froa… kie…_ "

Camille looked down and saw Froakie staring up at her, holding her arm. With a sniff, she turned back to Gurkinn and nodded. "I'm in. I hurt so many by Yvestros' command and I will do whatever it takes to make things right, no matter the cost!"

"Very well," Gurkinn replied. "Santos, would you care to take Froakie to the medical side? My machines should be able to heal it up."

Santos lifted Froakie out of Camille's arms and followed Lucario to the beds.

Gurkinn then faced Camille and cleared his throat. "Camille Jefferson, you have overcome incredible odds to stand before me. By destroying Yvestros' influence over you and being willing to stand up to him again, you have shown that you are brave, as your aura has described you. It is my absolute pleasure to welcome you into the Knights of Order. And so, please take this as the symbol of your rank, the medallion of the Salamence Dragon Knight."

"I won't let you down," Camille said, picking up the medallion.

"I know you won't." Gurkinn then gave her a Morpher. "You'll need this to channel the medallion's power. Now, it's time to go and help the other Knights."

"But they've already got their PokéZords out," Camille pointed out, slotting the medallion into the Morpher. "How can I possibly help them out?"

Gurkinn just smiled and turned to the darkened garage. "Clemont, let's show Camille what we were working on."

Clemont stepped out of the shadows with a smile and adjusted his glasses. "The future is now, thanks to science! Camille, I present to you, your brand new Salamence PokéZord!"

With a bellowing mechanical roar, a gigantic robotic Salamence stomped out of the garage. Camille gasped in amazement. "That's incredible!"

"I'm sure you know the call sign to transform," Gurkinn said. "Now get changed!"

"It's Morphing time!" Camille raised her new Morpher and pressed the button. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

A burst of aqua light erupted from the Morpher, forming into the shape of a dragon, similar to that of the corrupted Morpher. Instead of breathing fire on Camille, the dragon light flapped into an upright position and embraced her, forming into a costume similar to Marianne's and Electra's. The difference, besides the aqua color, was the red breastplate with the symbol of a dragon's head, silver gloves and boots. The head of the dragon light then fused with her head, transforming into a Salamence helmet with spikes on each side and a half-star visor.

"Whoa, this feels great," Camille cried, looking at her hands.

Santos nodded. "Get going, Camille. The Knights need your help!"

* * *

"Iron Head!" Resharma commanded.

Bastille lowered his head and charged into the Blastoise Zord, throwing it back against the other fallen Zords.

"Dragon Breath!" Sharphound yelled, throwing some switches on his console.

The Garchomp Zord launched a stream of blue energy from its mouth, striking the Blaziken Zord and driving it to its knees.

"I don't know how much more damage we can take!" Tristan grunted.

"These guys are relentless," Marianne agreed.

"We can't escape their attacks," Rafi added.

"Bastille is too strong and Sharphound keeps stopping our transformation," Quinn said.

"What else can we do?" Electra cried.

"The only thing you haven't done yet is give up and die!" Zekronos yelled. "But we'll soon see that through."

"Sharphound, the honor of destroying the Zords shall be yours," Resharma ordered.

"Oh yes, and this Zord has the perfect attack for this." Sharphound flew into position over the Zords and pressed a button. "Draco Meteor!"

"NOOOOOOO!" the Knights screamed in unison.

But already the Garchomp Zord was beginning to glow red. Then it raised its head and fired a glowing ball into the sky.

"We barely survived that attack in the Megazord," Tristan breathed.

"We're doomed!" Electra cried, covering her visor with both hands.

At that moment, the ball exploded into smaller orbs, raining down towards the Zords…

"Protect!"

Suddenly, a robotic Salamence appeared as if from nowhere and soared in front of them, forming a protective green shield that blocked the meteors at the last second.

"WHAT?" Sharphound cried.

"Impossible!" Zekronos yelled.

"Who is that?" Resharma demanded.

In reply, the Salamence's speakers blared out a very familiar voice to both the Generals and the Knights. "Hello, you mutated freaks, I'm BACK!"

"Camille?!" the Knights gasped.

"The traitor?!" the Twins and Sharphound cried.

"Hey, guys," she replied over the Zords' intercom. "Gurkinn sent me to help you out."

"Thank Arceus you came when you did," Marianne said in relief. "You saved our lives."

"Consider us even then," Camille said.

"How dare you join forces with the Knights of Order!" Sharphound snapped. "I'll destroy you for that!"

Camille narrowed her eyes behind her helmet. "You guys have enough power to make your Megazord?"

"I think so," Tristan replied.

"Then do it. I'll keep Sharphound busy." With that, Camille pushed her joystick out. "Fly!"

The Salamence Zord took to the air and grabbed the Garchomp Zord, lifting it up into the sky.

"No time like the present!" Tristan slammed his hand on the big red button. "Megazord of Justice Transformation, activate!"

Each PokéZord flashed white as the command was issued. First, the Blaziken Zord jumped into the air, its arms folding back into its body. At the same time, the Blastoise Zord withdrew its head and limbs into its shell, which opened up on the front and fused over the Blaziken Zord's body, creating the main torso.

Next, the Sceptile and Ampharos Zords lay down on their stomachs and folded in their limbs and tails as they straightened up, the heads resting on their chests. The bottom half joined onto the main torso, forming the legs.

Then, the Pidgeot Zord took to the air, its head and tail folding into its body which then split in half. Each half then joined to either side of the torso upside down, so that the legs formed the arms, while the wings folded over the front of the torso. The completed Megazord landed on the ground, the Blaziken's beak opening up to reveal a more humanoid face.

"Megazord of Justice, ready!" the Knights yelled in the main cockpit as the robot raised its arms.

"Let's show this guy what happens when he messes with us," Tristan said.

"Bring it on, Knights!" the Twins yelled while Bastille gestured to come closer.

* * *

High above the city, Camille kept carrying Sharphound up and up.

"Let go of me!" Sharphound yelled, flicking switches on his console. "Dragon Claw!

The Garchomp Zord's claws began to glow as it swiped out, striking the Salamence Zord's head and forcing it to release its grip.

"Hey!" Camille yelled, hovering before her old Zord.

"How could you betray your friends like that?" Sharphound shouted. "We gave you those incredible powers, and you choose to side with our enemies?"

"You were never my friends, to begin with!" Camille countered. "You stole those powers from others to turn me into your instrument of death! But now I'm free to my own decisions, which is why I'm going with my true friends: the Knights of Order!"

"Then you will perish like the rest of them!" Sharphound growled. "Dragon Breath!"

The Garchomp Zord fired another beam of blue energy from its mouth.

"Flamethrower!" Camille called.

A jet of flame shot out of the Salamence Zord's jaws. The two attacks met in the middle and exploded, throwing the Zords back. Camille and Sharphound quickly hit some buttons, correcting their Zords' flight.

"Camille, can you hear me?" Clemont's voice called through her communicator.

"Yes, Clemont, what is it?"

"I just remembered something about the Garchomp Zord," Clemont replied excitedly. "When I first built it for Yvestros, I deliberately left out the protection on its chest in case it was ever used against the Knights."

"That's why it failed when the MegaZord threw its sword at it," Camille realized. "But surely Sabelteur would have fixed it."

"Not likely. We ran out of materials to repair it before Etna saved me."

Camille turned to look closely at the Garchomp Zord, quickly spotting a fracture on its chest. "Aha, I see a weakness!"

"Good. You know what to do now. Clemont out."

Camille looked at the Garchomp Zord then back down to Bastille and smiled as an idea came to mind…

* * *

"Hydro Cannon!" Marianne yelled.

The MegaZord's cannons each fired a powerful jet of water at Bastille.

"Endure!" Zekronos cried.

Bastille held up his arms in front of him as the water struck, sloshing over him.

"We can't do any damage to him!" Rafi realized.

"I could hit him with an Electro Kick," Electra offered.

"No, we can't get too close to him," Tristan replied. "His Spiky Shield would block the damage and hurt us even more."

"And our Zords are damaged enough already," Quinn agreed. "We can't afford another hit."

"Hey, guys," Camille called in again. "I have a plan to take them both out."

Tristan turned to the others who nodded. "Okay, we're listening."

"I'm going to attack the Garchomp Zord and bring it down on Bastille," Camille explained. "You just need to keep Bastille from moving away."

"I got that covered," Quinn said, pushing his stick forward. "Grass Pledge!"

The Megazord lifted its leg and stomped on the ground, sending out huge blades of grass that wrapped around Bastille.

"Hey, what gives?" Zekronos cried.

"Okay, Camille, whatever you're planning, do it now!" Tristan cried.

* * *

"You got it," Camille replied before turning to Sharphound. "Let's do this. Crunch!"

The Salamence Zord opened its jaws, revealing glowing fangs, and surged towards the Garchomp Zord.

"Ha, nice try!" Sharphound cried. "I can dodge that move easily!"

So saying, he pulled a lever and the Garchomp Zord floated up out of reach of the attack.

"Well then, how about this move?" Camille said. "Dragon Tail!"

As the Salamence Zord passed under the other Zord, its tail began to glow green and then swung upwards, striking the Garchomp Zord in the chest and widening the crack.

"AAARRRGHHH!" Sharphound gasped as his console began to flash warnings. "What's happening?"

"Zen Headbutt!"

As the Salamence Zord soared up into the sky, its head began to glow blue. Then it turned and dived straight into the Garchomp Zord, driving it down to the ground.

"Uh oh, time to bail!" Sharphound gulped before teleporting out of the cockpit…

* * *

"Here they come!" Rafi cried, pointing at the sky.

"Protect!" Marianne cried, slamming a button.

The Megazord raised its arms and summoned a green shield around them.

"What are those idiots doing?" Zekronos scoffed.

"Doesn't matter," Resharma retorted, struggling with the controls. "We have to get Bastille free-"

"INCOMING!"

The Twins looked up and gasped as they saw the two Dragon-Type Zords plummeting toward them. Resharma yelled out, "Bastille, Iron-"

But it was too late. At the last second, Camille pulled her Zord up as the Garchomp Zord crashed into Bastille, pinning him down under its weight.

"Nicely done, Camille!" Tristan cheered.

Inside Bastille, the Twins staggered to their feet. "Bastille, get up!" Resharma yelled.

Bastille struggled and strained, but it couldn't lift the wrecked Zord off it.

"What do you say we finish this guy off?" Quinn asked.

"Camille, would you do the honors?" Tristan said.

"Gladly," Camille replied. "Draco Meteor!"

The Salamence Zord began to glow red before it lifted its head up and fired a glowing orb into the sky.

"Sister, I think now would be a good time to withdraw," Zekronos cried.

"I'm inclined to agree, brother," Resharma replied. "Let's go!"

As the orb burst into smaller meteors, the Twins flew out of Bastille's windows and disappeared. Seconds later, the meteors crashed down onto him. One happened to hit the Garchomp Zord's cracked chest, causing it to explode and consume Bastille in the blast.

"Alright!" the Knights in the Megazord cheered.

* * *

"Yahoo!" Etna yelled, dancing around the base. "She did it!"

"I never doubted her for a second," Santos smiled.

Clemont just laughed and whooped in delight.

Gurkinn nodded to himself. "We might stand a chance against the Twins yet."

" _Lucario,_ " agreed his long-time Pokémon partner.

Just then, Santos heard a loud ringing from his pocket. He took out his Holo Caster to see Looker's face on it and sighed before exiting the room…

* * *

"How could this have failed so badly?" Yvestros raged. "Everything was going so perfectly!"

"I-It wasn't our fault, m-my Lord," Sharphound stammered. "How were we to know that the traitor would join the Knights of Order?"

"It was my sister's idea, all of it," Zekronos cried, pointing to Resharma.

"How dare you!" Resharma snapped. "You came up with the idea to have Sharphound pilot the Zord!"

"ENOUGH!" Yvestros bellowed, silencing the Generals. "All of you had one task to do, and you failed it! Now we have to double our efforts to destroy the Knights! Mothitelle, Sabelteur, try to come up with some new ideas."

"At once, my Lord," Mothitelle and Sabelteur replied.

"And as for you three, you're in charge of mucking out the KrokoViles for the next three days!"

The Twins and Sharphound groaned in dismay.

* * *

"Congratulations, Camille," Gurkinn praised when the Knights returned to base. "You've defeated your first Poké-Mutant."

"Aw, thanks," Camille said with a smile. "I'm happy to help out."

"You did more than help out," Tristan replied. "You're now officially a Knight of Order."

"Welcome to the team," Marianne said, patting Camille's shoulder.

"Now there are just a few rules to remember," Gurkinn said. "Never use your powers for personal gain, and don't reveal your identity to anyone else unless there's no alternative."

"Got it," Camille nodded.

" _Froakie!_ "

Everyone turned and saw Froakie hopping towards her.

"Oh hey there," Camille said, kneeling down to him. "Thanks for saving me earlier."

"Where did he come from anyway?" Rafi asked.

"I saw him in the forest outside of town," Quinn replied. "He must have followed me back. But why would he jump out and save Camille like that?"

" _Froakie, froakie,_ " the Water Pokémon replied.

Lucario nodded and turned to Gurkinn. " _Lucar, lucario._ "

"According to Lucario, Froakie has been looking for a strong trainer for a long time," Gurkinn explained. "He saw your actions against the KrokoViles and your kindness when you saved him from Sharphound. Now he wants to join you on your quest."

Camille smiled and turned to Froakie. "Thank you for that. I'd be honored to have you on my team." She then took out a Poké Ball and tapped on Froakie's head, absorbing him into it. The Ball shook only once before the button flashed out.

"Welcome to my team." Camille then looked around the Base. "Hey, where's Santos?"

* * *

Running up the stairs, she found Santos standing outside the Tower, looking up at the sunset with his Charizard.

"Hey Santos," Camille called. "I'm now part of the Knights of Order."

"Yeah, I figured that out," Santos replied simply.

"Now we can journey together again, just like old times," Camille added, taking his hand. "Come on, let's head back inside."

She turned to go back in, but stopped when she realized he wasn't following her. "Santos?"

He sighed and turned to face her. "Camille… I'm not going with you."

"What?" Camille breathed.

"I got a call from Looker," Santos explained. "He wants me back at his office. Team Flare has been sighted again, and we have to stay ahead of them. I'm sorry, but I have to go."

As he climbed onto Charizard's back, Camille ran up to him. "Then let me come with you. We've always done this thing together."

"No, Camille. Your place is with the Knights of Order now. They can help you on your journey, and from what I can see, you've got a lot of catching up to do."

Camille turned away, tears welling in her eyes. "It's not fair… We find each other after so many years, only to split apart again."

Santos smiled and put a hand on her cheek. "Don't cry, Camille. Our friendship is strong enough that we can never be apart…" With that, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, making her gasp.

Before she could speak, Santos turned away. "I'll see you again if I can. Let's head back to Lumiose City, Charizard!"

With a roar, Charizard took to the air and flew off into the sunset, leaving Camille holding her cheek in silence…

* * *

 **And we're finished! So the Knights of Order now have a new member, Camille had a new Pokémon and Santos has left once again. But this won't be the last we see of him, so don't fret.**

 **Apologies if my next chapter takes a while. I'll be busy working with D.J. Scales on his new story, Skylanders Imaginators. Check him out if you can, he deserves a bit of love for his work.**

 **See you next time, and thanks for reading!**


	27. It Takes Goo to Tango

_Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order_

 _The Twin Generals came up with a plan to destroy the Knights PokéZords for good, through their newest monster, Bastille, and the repaired Garchomp PokéZord piloted by Sharphound. Against them both, the Knights almost met their doom until they were saved at the last minute by Camille who officially joined the team as the Salamence Dragon Knight. With her new PokéZord, Camille was able to destroy her old Zord and Bastille in one fell swoop. The Knights happily welcomed her into the team, but Santos left for a new mission from Looker, but not before he gave Camille a farewell kiss…_

* * *

Chapter 26: It Takes Goo to Tango

"Come on, guys, hurry up!" Rafi called, running ahead of the group. "I want to get to Courmarine as quickly as possible!"

" _Minccino!_ " Lucky cried, perched on Rafi's shoulder.

"Slow down, Rafi," Marianne laughed. "It's gonna be about a few days before we get there. Just try to take it easy for now."

"Can you blame him for being excited?" Tristan said. "Once we reach the next Gym, we can finally get our next badge."

Etna laughed at Tristan's eagerness. "I remember when I was like you, eager to reach the next Gym. It always drove Callum nuts!"

The day grew a little darker just then and Electra looked towards the sky. "The clouds are coming in. I hope it's not gonna rain."

"I don't think it will," Marianne replied. "I didn't hear any thunder. It'll probably be a little overcast for a while."

Quinn looked over his shoulder. "Hey, Camille, hurry it up back there!"

Tristan and Electra turned and saw Camille far behind them. "Is she okay?" Tristan asked.

"She's been so sulky ever since Santos left," Electra muttered. "Maybe someone should talk to her."

"I'll go." Marianne stopped walking and waited for Camille to catch up then walked alongside her. "Hey, are you alright?"

Camille didn't respond.

"Are you sad because Santos isn't with you?"

Still no reply.

"Come on, Camille. You can talk to me. I'm your best friend."

Camille turned away. "So was Santos."

Marianne frowned. "What happened between you and Santos?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Camille retorted.

"But-"

"Hey, you guys!" Tristan called. "Hurry up or we'll never make it!"

Camille's expression darkened. "Coming!" she growled, picking up speed.

Marianne sighed and shook her head. "Damn it, Tristan, I was so close…"

* * *

Mothitelle entered Sabelteur's lab to find the mutant monster maker huddled next to his creation chamber. "So have you any ideas for your next Poké-Mutant? Lord Yvestros is demanding results."

"Yes, yes, it'll be ready soon," Sabelteur replied dismissively. "I'm just examining the latest DNA samples from my Scoutquils."

"Your what?" Mothitelle asked.

Sabelteur pointed to a row of red and black-striped Tranquils perched on the desk. "Some of my Spydoves evolved after finishing their spying missions, so I send them out across the world to pick up new samples for making monsters. And recently, a few of them returned from a new region, bearing an interesting new collection of Pokémon DNA."

"Really?" Mothitelle asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. Look at this." Sabelteur held up a test tube of multicolored sludge. "This came from a completely new subspecies of Muk. Let's see what happens when I mix it into my template…"

So saying, he poured the sludge into a tube on his creation chamber and activated it. Electricity coursed through the machine for ten seconds then the chamber slid open.

Mothitelle's eyes widened as the new monster stepped out of the chamber. Its appearance was similar to Goodra, apart from the face and arms that belonged to Muk. Interestingly, its body was colored green, yellow, and pink instead of the usual colors of either Pokémon, and salt crystals grew out of its mouth like teeth and from its hands like claws.

"Fascinating," she breathed, walking around the Poké-Mutant. "He looks like quite a challenge for those pesky Knights of Order."

"Sabelteur!" Yvestros stormed into the lab at that moment. "Is my new monster ready yet?"

The monster jumped in alarm and spat out a stream of green slime, splashing Mothitelle and throwing her back against the wall. "Aahh, gross!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Yvestros demanded.

"A-A thousand apologies, m-my Lord," Sabelteur stuttered. "You startled my latest creation."

Mothitelle struggled to pull herself off the wall. "I'm stuck! Your stupid monster stuck me to the wall!"

Yvestros rubbed his chin with a smile. "Interesting… What is this monster's name, Sabelteur?"

"Mr. Mukgoo, my Lord," Sabelteur replied.

"Well then, Mukgoo, I will send you after the Knights of Order," Yvestros announced. "Use your sludge attacks to stop them in their tracks!"

"Yes, my Lord," Mukgoo replied in a guttural voice.

With a flap of his wings, Yvestros sent him off to perform his tasks then left the lab.

"Well, that worked out quite nicely," Sabelteur chuckled, going back to his tasks.

"Hello?" Mothitelle snapped. "I'm still stuck here. Anybody?"

* * *

Further down the road, Etna called for a break for lunch so they paused at a field by a river to rest and release their Pokémon. Quinn and Etna rustled up some salad and sandwiches while Tristan, Electra and Marianne gave each Pokémon their special food. Soon, they were tucking into their delicious lunch and chatting happily, except for Camille who sat away from the group to eat.

After a while, the talk quickly turned to strategizing. "So we know that Ramos uses Grass Pokémon in his Gym," Rafi recalled. "But we also know that he has some strategies against Fire and Flying Pokémon."

"That reminds me," Tristan said, turning to Marianne. "How did you beat that Gym? Don't you mainly use Water Pokémon?"

"I do, but I have some Flying-Types like Pelipper and Swanna," Marianne replied. "Even so, I had to take on Ramos three times before I won. It also helped that I taught some Ice attacks to Simipour, and that my Ludicolo could learn Thunder Punch."

"Do you think you could teach Claude how to use an Ice attack?" Rafi asked.

"I could, but it's probably best for you and Tristan to get some new Pokémon that's strong against Grass."

"Yeah," Electra agreed. "Something like a Poison Pokémon, or even a Bug-Type."

Tristan gasped and froze up. "B-B-Bug-Type?"

"Oops, I forgot," Electra sighed, face-palming.

"What's the problem?" Etna asked.

"Tristan's afraid of Bug Pokémon," Quinn explained, grabbing another sandwich.

Camille gave a derisive snort, but Marianne glared at her, silently warning her to be quiet.

"It's not so bad since I fought Galvajask, but I still tend to freeze up when I see one," Tristan muttered in shame. "It's worse when one uses Bug Buzz."

The others looked at Etna, expecting her to laugh or make some snide comment, but she simply smiled. "Well, there are a number of Bug Pokémon that don't use Bug Buzz. I sure we can help you look for one if you like."

"R-Really?" Tristan asked in surprise. "That would be great, Etna!"

"So it's settled," Marianne replied, getting out of her chair. "We'll stop here to help look for new Pokémon for Tristan and Rafi."

"I'll stay here and get the camp set up," Quinn said.

"Let me help you out," Etna offered.

"Come on, Rafi," Electra cried. "Let's go into the forest to find a Pokémon for you."

"Okay," Rafi replied, standing up. "See you guys."

As Rafi and Electra set off for the woods, Tristan turned to Camille who hadn't moved from her spot. "Hey Camille, you wanna come with me to help me out?"

Camille shook her head. "No thanks, I don't work with scaredy-cats."

"What do you call me?" Tristan snapped, jumping to his feet.

"How do I know you won't freak out and run away just because a Wurmple fell onto your shoulder?"

"I'm not that bad anymore!" Tristan yelled. "You're just mad because Santos isn't with us!"

Camille stood up and glared at Tristan. "You take that back right now!"

"You first!" Tristan shouted.

"Enough!" Marianne cried, holding Tristan back. "If either of you won't apologize, then take your fight somewhere else."

"FINE!" Tristan and Camille both yelled before storming off into the forest.

Combusken watched his trainer go before turning to Dragonite. " _Combus, combusken? (Should we go after them?)_ "

" _Dragoo, dragoo, (No, it's better that they handle this on their own)_ " Dragonite replied, shaking her head.

"That was a bit harsh, wasn't it, Marianne?" Etna said.

Marianne sighed. "Yeah, but their arguing was not good for team morale."

Quinn looked towards the forest. "Well, as long as they don't run into anything in there…"

* * *

"Hey, get back here!" Tristan yelled, running after Camille. "I'm still waiting for your apology, you know!"

"My apology?" Camille cried, turning to face him. "If anything, you should be apologizing to me!"

"You started this! Therefore, you need to finish it!"

"How about instead, I finish _you_ off!" shouted a new voice.

Tristan and Camille whirled around as a colorful Goodra monster with a Muk face and arms appeared before them.

"Uh oh, that's not good," Tristan gasped.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Camille asked.

"The name's Mr. Mukgoo, and I'm here to deal with you," the monster retorted. "Hey, that rhymed!"

"Better call the others." Tristan lifted his Morpher and turned on the communicator. "Guys, we got another monster here. Some sort of Technicolor Muk monster-"

"Order's Light, Ignite!"

Tristan looked up to see a morphed Camille charging into battle. "And Camille's about to fight it on her own," he finished with a sigh.

"Rafi and I are closest to you," Electra replied. "We're on our way."

"Salamence Wing Hatchets, engage!" Camille held out her hands and two axes shaped like the wings of a Salamence appeared. "Dragon Claw!"

As the Hatchets began to glow, Camille jumped up and drove them right into Mukgoo's body. "Ha, got you now!"

"You think so?" Mukgoo chuckled.

"Huh?" Camille tried to pull back, but found that her weapons were stuck in the monster's sludgy mass. "I can't get them out!"

"Let me give you a hand. Knock Off!" Mukgoo raised his fist and punched Camille hard, throwing her into the air.

"Camille!" Tristan gasped.

"Dragon Breath!" The monster fired a blast of blue energy at Camille, pushing her back against a tree. With a groan, Camille demorphed and fell to the ground.

Tristan ran quickly to her side. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Camille grunted, getting to her feet. "That monster's gonna get it this time!"

"Hold on!" Tristan grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "You can't do this alone, wait for Electra and Rafi."

"I can handle this!" Camille snapped, grabbing his wrist. "Let me go!"

"No, you can't! Just stop and listen to me!"

"Seems like you're having a little dispute," Mukgoo chortled. "Perhaps I can help you two stick together! Sludge Bomb!"

Taking a breath, he spat out a ball of black slime at Tristan and Camille, who were still busy fighting to notice, right up until the slime struck their left hands and pinned them to the tree.

"What the…?" Tristan pulled as hard as he could, but he couldn't get his hand free. "I'm stuck!"

"Well, that's just great," Camille stated sarcastically.

"I'm not done with you yet, Knights," Mukgoo chuckled, stomping towards them…

But then, a Feather Arrow whizzed past his face and he turned around to see a morphed Rafi and Electra running to help, weapons drawn.

"Oh look, your friends have come to help," Mukgoo scoffed.

"Back off, slime-face!" Electra commanded, lifting her Hammer. "Or I'll pound you into mush!"

"Bring it on, Electric Knight!" Mukgoo retorted, raising his fists.

Rafi jumped forward and kicked the monster's face with both feet, forcing him back. Mukgoo groaned in pain before slapping Rafi back.

"Electro Ball!" Electra's Hammer began to spark and form an orb on one end. With a grunt, she swung it around and threw the orb at Mukgoo, zapping him with powerful electricity.

"We gotta help them out!" Tristan pulled harder and finally ripped his hand free, ripping some bark off the tree as well. He then lifted his Morpher and pressed the button. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

But his Morpher didn't spew out fire like before. Instead, it sparked and groaned under the slime still on Tristan's hand.

"Huh?" Tristan stared at his hand in shock. "Why can't I morph?"

"Power Whip!" Mukgoo lashed out with his retractable horns and sent Rafi and Electra flying. "Now I got you this time. Sludge Bomb!"

Again the monster took in a breath…

But suddenly, he let out a cry of pain and recoiled. "AHHH! It hurts!" he cried before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Tristan frowned. "What was that about?"

"I don't know," Rafi replied, getting to his feet. "One minute he was about to finish us off, and the next he's gone."

"We haven't seen the last of him though," Electra sighed, looking up at the sky. "But on the plus side, the sun's out again."

"Can someone get me out of here?" Camille called irritably.

As Rafi and Electra went to help, Tristan looked down at his gummed-up Morpher. "This is not good…"

* * *

"What just happened out there?" Sabelteur yelled at Mukgoo, who'd just reappeared in his lab. "You had those Knights at your mercy!"

"I don't know myself!" Mukgoo retorted. "Everything was going well, then I suddenly felt an agonizing pain, like I couldn't stay out in the open for long."

"Sounds like you've created a big crybaby instead of a monster," Mothitelle laughed, still stuck on the wall.

"Oh shut up!" Sabelteur snapped. "I can figure out what's wrong with him, you'll see! And quit hanging around!"

"Like I have a choice?" Mothitelle muttered sarcastically.

* * *

"Come on, come on!" Tristan scraped at the slime with a knife, struggling in vain to remove it from his hand. Then he tried stabbing it, but the knife just bounced off the slime.

"Stop that," Quinn cried, snatching the knife away. "You might hurt yourself if you're not careful."

"I highly doubt that," Electra argued. "That stuff's impenetrable. After Mukgoo left, we tried everything to get it off; hitting it with Rafi's arrows, shooting it with our Blasters; I even smacked it with my Hammer."

"Ouch!" Marianne winced. "That must have hurt!"

"That's the trouble, it didn't," Tristan sighed angrily. "And it wouldn't have happened if Camille hadn't charged in like an idiot."

"I could have handled it myself if you hadn't stopped me," Camille yelled, pointing at him with her own slimed hand.

"Oh yeah, you were doing extremely well," Tristan scoffed. "I told you to wait for the others to come."

"Why should I listen to what you're telling me?"

"Because I'm the leader, that's how it works!"

"You? I'm much older than you are, I don't take orders from a kid!"

"Man, maybe that's why Santos left you. He probably couldn't handle how much of a spoiled brat you've become!"

"THAT'S IT!" Without warning, Camille pounced on Tristan, throwing them both off the table.

"Whoa!" Etna gasped.

"Stop it!" Rafi yelled.

Ignoring him, Camille started punching Tristan with her free hand, forcing him to cover his head. "Ow! Ow! What's your deal?"

"Take back what you said about Santos!" Camille demanded, still punching him. "Take it back!"

"Camille, calm down!" Marianne yelled. She and Quinn grabbed Camille's arms and pulled her away from Tristan. "What's gotten into you?"

"What happened between you and Santos anyway?" Electra asked.

Camille pulled herself free and turned away. "You guys wouldn't understand…"

"That's no excuse to hit me!" Tristan groaned, getting to his feet.

"Listen, you two, we have more important matters to deal with than your personal issues," Quinn yelled. "That Mukgoo monster could still be out there. We have to find him quick."

"Maybe if we destroy him, Tristan and Camille could morph again," Rafi added.

"So we're gonna split into pairs and search the forest," Marianne decided. "Etna, you stay here with Tristan and Camille, and see if you can sort them out."

"But I want to come too," Camille protested.

"Sorry, Camille, but you have to sit this one out," Marianne sighed. "Come on, Quinn."

"See you later, Tristan," Rafi called, going with Electra.

As soon as they were gone, Camille sat at the table with a scowl. "This is so unfair."

"You can say that again," Tristan muttered.

"Finally, you two agree on something," Etna said with a smile.

"SHUT UP!" they both yelled.

"Alright, alright," Etna chuckled. "The way I see it, there's only one way for you two to blow off this steam."

"Pokémon battle?" Tristan asked.

"That's right. And just to make it interesting, let's make this a Triple Battle."

"Fine!" Camille snapped, reaching for her Safari Ball.

"Not so fast, Camille," Etna cried. "I know what you're planning, so I'm not letting you use Dragonite, Salamence or Gogoat."

"What?!" Camille yelled. "That just leaves me with Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie."

Tristan smiled and took out his Poké Ball. "So, you still want to do this?"

Camille narrowed her eyes and nodded. "You bet I do!"

* * *

Deep in the forest, Rafi and Electra searched around for any sign of Mukgoo, but with no luck so far.

Electra called up Gurkinn and explained the situation. "…And just before he could attack, he suddenly screamed and disappeared."

"That's very unusual," Gurkinn muttered. "Don't worry, Lucario and I will keep an eye on the aura. If he shows his face again, we'll let you or Marianne and Quinn know."

"Thanks, Gurkinn," Electra said.

Just then, she heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. "What's that?"

Rafi turned just as the leaves parted and a small shape darted out into the open. He just had time to notice its purple spiky skin and long ears before it disappeared into the undergrowth. "False alarm, it's just a Nidoran. Looked like the male."

Then another Nidoran emerged from the bush, this one with blue skin, running after the first Nidoran.

"And that must have been the female," Electra guessed. "We're wasting time here. Let's go."

As Electra set off into the forest, Rafi hung back and looked at where the two Nidoran had run off to. He might have imagined it, but he was certain that the female Nidoran seemed to have longer ears…

* * *

"You guys ready?" Etna called.

Tristan nodded, looking at his Pokémon. For this battle, he had chosen Combusken, Sandslash, and Tyrunt to fight Camille's Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie. Camille also nodded.

"Then let the battle begin!" Etna shouted, raising her arms.

"Sandslash, go underground!" Tristan yelled.

Without hesitation, Sandslash jumped forward and burrowed into the sand.

"Combusken, go for Double Kick!"

Combusken ran at his opponents and jumped into his kick attacks.

"Chespin, Fennekin, dodge that attack," Camille shouted. "Froakie, go for Water Pulse!"

At the last second, Chespin and Fennekin jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding Combusken's attack. At the same time, Froakie summoned a blue orb in his hands and hurled it out at Combusken.

Suddenly, Sandslash burst out of the ground and swiped through the Water Pulse with his claws, before landing next to Combusken.

"Nicely done!" Etna cheered.

"Okay, Tyrunt, now go help out with-" Tristan paused when he realized that Tyrunt wasn't on the battlefield. "Tyrunt?"

Etna looked around and then sighed. "Hey, Tristan, I found him."

Tristan turned and saw Tyrunt curled up under a tree, fast asleep. "Tyrunt! This is no time to take a nap! Get back here and help us!"

But Tyrunt didn't budge from his spot.

"Ha! Looks like I'm already winning," Camille taunted.

"What? You can't count that!" Tristan snapped.

"Sorry, Tristan, but if a Pokémon refuses to battle, they're exempt from the fight," Etna replied. "I'm afraid that Camille is right, she still has three Pokémon while you've got two left."

"We'll see about that!" Tristan growled. "Combusken, Flame Charge on Chespin! Sandslash, go for Crush Claw!"

Combusken's body caught fire as he dashed towards Chespin, while Sandslash raised his claws to strike.

"Fennekin, counter Combusken with your Flame Charge!" Camille ordered.

With a little bark, Fennekin's own body caught fire and she leapt into Combusken's path. The two Pokémon clashed in the middle, each struggling to overcome the other.

"Chespin, dodge Sandslash then stop him with Leech Seed!"

Jumping away from Sandslash's attack, Chespin took in a breath then spat out a glowing green seed onto the Mouse Pokémon's head. As the seed hit his head, it burst open and vines grew out, wrapping around Sandslash's body and flashing red.

" _Slash!_ " Sandslash cried, collapsing to the ground.

"Oh no!" Tristan gasped.

Camille gave a confident smile. "Froakie, Water Pulse!"

Froakie summoned a glowing blue orb in his hands then hurled it out, striking the weakened Sandslash and knocking him out.

"Sandslash is unable to battle!" Etna announced. "Tristan now has one Pokémon left."

"It's over, Tristan!" Camille called. "You might as well call Combusken back and end it all."

Tristan was still shocked by the outcome so he didn't reply.

"She's right," Etna said to him. "Camille has clearly had more experience in these types of battles. With just Combusken left, you haven't much hope."

"No way!" Tristan snapped. "I refuse to give up. I know Combusken can do this by himself. Go for it, buddy!"

Hearing his trainer's cry, Combusken pushed himself harder, forcing Fennekin out of her attack and throwing her back.

"Fennekin!" Camille gasped.

"Let's finish her off!" Tristan shouted. "Flamethrower!"

Combusken lifted his head up then launched a stream of flames from his beak. Fennekin struggled to stand up, but it was clear that she wouldn't move away in time from the approaching attack…

* * *

"I just don't get it," Sabelteur sighed, pacing around Mukgoo. "You're clearly strong enough to take out the Knights, but why did you pull out early?"

"Face it, Sabelteur," Mothitelle sniggered, still on the wall. "You've blundered this time. This monster's a complete failure."

Just then, Sharphound staggered into the lab, his tongue hanging out and his nose twitching slightly. "What's going on in here?" he asked with a sniff.

"Ah, look what the Meowth dragged in," Mothitelle stated sarcastically. "Where are the Twins?"

"Resting up. Those KrokoViles get very nasty when they're knee-deep in their own waste." Sharphound slumped onto a stool with another loud sniff. "Not to mention the dustiness of their enclosure. I think I got some in my nose."

"Well, just be careful around Mukgoo," Sabelteur warned. "He's very delicate, but I'm still not sure why."

Sharphound made to say something else, but then his nose began to twitch. "Uh-oh, I think I'm gonna… Ah… Ahhh… Ahhhh…"

"Take cover!" Sabelteur cried, dragging Mukgoo behind his monster machine. "When Sharphound sneezes, it gets really hot!"

"AAAAHHHHCHOOOO!" Sharphound finally sneezed with the force of a volcano, and with virtually the same results. A ball of fire shot out of his mouth and slammed right into Mothitelle.

"YEOOOOWW!" she screamed in pain.

"AAARRGH, there it is again!" Mukgoo cried, cringing further back. "That's the same pain I felt when I fought the Knights."

Sabelteur looked at Mukgoo then turned back to Mothitelle just as the flames died down. Her body was almost completely seared, but the slime that held her on the wall had completely evaporated. With a groan, she slid to the floor and landed flat on her face.

"THAT'S IT!" he cheered, jumping out into the open again. "It's the heat! Mukgoo is weak against heat!"

"What's all that racket?" Yvestros yelled, entering the lab. "Sabelteur, have you figured out what's wrong with your monster?"

"I have, my Lord," Sabelteur replied. "It seems that Mukgoo is easily harmed by any form of heat. When I sent him out against the Knights, the day was cloudy, but the moment the sun came out, Mukgoo was weakened and forced to retreat."

"Ha, what a useless monster!" Sharphound scoffed.

"But don't you see?" Sabelteur continued. "Before he was driven away, Mukgoo managed to prevent the Fire Knight from morphing. The fall of the others will be a cinch."

"Hmm, I think I can help you with the main problem of the sun." Yvestros reached into his robes and pulled out a blue disc. "This is something the humans call a Technical Machine. This one, which I collected from one of the victims of Santalune Forest, holds the attack Rain Dance. It should give Mukgoo the power he needs to stop the Knights once and for all."

So saying, he placed the disc onto Mukgoo's head. The disc glowed for a moment then faded again.

"Thank you, my Lord," Mukgoo said with a smirk. "Now I'm ready to take on the Knights again!"

* * *

Just before the Flamethrower could hit Fennekin, Froakie threw his frubbles out to build a wall between the fire and Fennekin, and he and Chespin braced against it, wincing as they felt the heat seeping through.

"Whoa, that was pretty clever!" Etna gasped.

"Why did they do that?" Camille asked. "I never ordered them to."

"I think I know why," Tristan realized. "It's because they were fighting with Fennekin. They were willing to put themselves in harm's way just to protect their friend. That's why Sandslash emerged from the Dig to attack Water Pulse; he was trying to help Combusken. See, Camille? This is what it means to be a team, protecting your friends when they can't protect themselves."

Camille let out a gasp, tears forming in her eyes.

" _Froakie, froakie,_ " cried Froakie, turning to Fennekin. (" _Whatever happens, we've always got your back._ "

" _Ches, chespin,_ " added Chespin. (" _That's right. Now let's beat him together!_ ")

Hearing her friends' encouraging words, Fennekin struggled to her feet.

Camille was also moved by her Pokémon's actions and she smiled and clenched her fists. "You can do it, guys! I believe in you all!"

Fennekin stood upright and gritted her teeth. " _Fennekin!_ " And right at that moment, her body began to glow.

"Whoa!" Camille gasped.

"Is Fennekin… evolving?" Tristan breathed.

"Camille said her Fennekin came from Aunt Malva's house," Etna guessed. "Maybe training with her Pokémon made her strong enough…"

Everyone watched in amazement as Fennekin's body grew a few feet taller, her front legs changed into arms and a branch emerged from her tail. Then the light faded, revealing a brand new Pokémon in her place. " _Braixen!_ "

"Wow! Look at that!" Camille breathed.

Undaunted by the evolution, Combusken pushed his flames harder, forcing them through the frubble barrier. Froakie and Chespin were thrown backwards by the attack, but only Froakie landed on his feet. Chespin collapsed at Camille's feet, knocked out.

"Chespin is unable to battle," Etna declared. "Camille is down to two Pokémon."

"You did your best, Chespin," Camille said, petting the Grass Pokémon's head. "You should take a rest."

But Chespin sat up and shook his head then pointed to Froakie and Braixen.

"Oh, you want to watch? Alright then…" Camille stood up and pointed her slimy hand out. "Froakie, Water Pulse!"

Leaping into the air, Froakie created a glowing blue orb in his hands and hurled it towards Combusken.

"Dodge it, then use Flame Charge!" Tristan yelled.

Combusken leapt over the Water Pulse, his body starting to burn again, and hit the ground running. Camille was about to order an attack when she noticed Braixen's eyes glowing. She took out her PokéDex and scanned Braixen. "Oh, you learned a new attack…"

"Keep going, Combusken!" Tristan yelled.

Camille looked up with a smile. "Braixen, Psybeam!"

" _Braixen!_ " Suddenly, the Fox Pokémon shot two beams of rainbow light from her eyes. The beam struck Combusken and threw him back across the field, until he crashed into Tristan's arms, his still burning body almost searing his hands.

"Whoa!" Tristan cried, letting his Pokémon go. "Can you still fight, buddy?"

Combusken staggered to his feet and charged into battle again.

"Still standing, huh?" Camille chuckled. "Not for long. Froakie, let's go with Bounce!"

Froakie crouched low to the ground then launched himself into the air.

"Huh?" Tristan asked as he and Combusken looked up. "What kind of attack was that?"

"Now, Braixen, use Flamethrower!"

Whipping out her burning twig, Braixen launched a stream of fire at Combusken, pushing him back but not dealing any serious damage.

Tristan gritted his teeth in anger. "Okay, Combusken, let's try-"

" _Froooaakiiiee!_ " Just then, Froakie fell out of the sky and slammed both feet onto Combusken's head, throwing up a cloud of dust.

"Combusken!" Tristan called.

Finally, the dust settled, revealing a triumphant Froakie standing on top of a knocked out Combusken.

"Combusken is unable to battle!" Etna declared. "The winner of the battle is Camille!"

"Yes! You guys did it!" Camille cheered.

" _Chespin!_ " cried Chespin.

Froakie bounded over to Braixen and held out a hand. " _Froakie, froakie._ " (" _Congratulations on evolving._ ")

Braixen smiled and shook Froakie's hand. " _Braixen._ " (" _I couldn't have done it without you._ ")

* * *

Quinn sighed and rubbed the sweat from his brow. "This is hopeless. We've been wandering this forest for over an hour, and there's no sign of that monster."

"Nothing from Rafi and Electra either," Marianne agreed, pushing a branch aside. "We might as well head back to camp."

Quinn was about to speak again when he looked around and gasped. "Get down!" he yelled, pushing Marianne to the ground just before a Sludge Bomb slapped against the tree behind her.

"Whoa, that was close!" Marianne panted, getting to her feet.

"You got lucky, but I won't miss this time!"

Quinn and Marianne whirled around and saw a familiar shape almost hidden by the shadow of the trees.

"Mukgoo," Quinn growled, narrowing his eyes.

"Well, well, talk about déjà vu," Mukgoo chuckled. "Two little Knights all on their own."

"Except we're ready for you this time," Marianne cried. "Let's do this!"

She and Quinn raised her Morphers and pressed the buttons. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

In a burst of color, their elements shot out and crashed into their bodies, creating their armor.

"Hold him off, Marianne," Quinn called, switching on his communicator. "Rafi, Electra, Mukgoo has returned. We'll need some backup quick."

"We're on our way," Electra replied.

Marianne pulled out her Water Cannon and took aim at Mukgoo. "Hope you like getting wet. Hydro Pump!"

A powerful stream of water shot out of the Cannon and struck Mukgoo full force in the chest. But the monster was unmoved by the attack; in fact, he seemed to enjoy it. "Ah, that was a relaxing bath. But I shouldn't hog all the watery fun. Rain Dance!"

With a yell, Mukgoo spat a glowing orb up into the sky. As Quinn and Marianne watched, the clouds above turned dark and grew larger, blotting out the sun.

At that moment, Rafi and Electra joined them, looking at the clouds as rain began to fall. "What's going on?"

"Beats me," Quinn replied before looking back at Mukgoo. "Uh oh!"

The other Knights turned and saw Mukgoo emerging from the forest, laughing nastily. "Now this is much more like it!"

* * *

"Good attempt, Combusken," Tristan sighed, patting his partner's shoulder.

Camille walked over to him with a grim expression. "Hey, Tristan?"

"Yeah?" Tristan asked, standing up.

"Etna's advice made me realize what a jerk I'd been," she said. "You were right; I should have waited for the others to come. It's my fault we can't help them fight Mukgoo."

"Don't say that. We may not be able to morph, but that doesn't mean we're completely helpless. Remember, we can still use our Pokémon to fight. If we work together…" Tristan held up a clenched fist. "I know we can do this!"

"Tristan, your hand!" Etna gasped, pointing at him. "It's free from the slime!"

"What?" Tristan looked around and saw that his hand was indeed completely clean. "But how was that possible?"

"Wait a second," Camille cried. "Your hands got burned when you caught Combusken earlier. Maybe…" She turned to Braixen. "Hey, uh, could you take your twig for a second?"

" _Braixen._ " The Fox Pokémon held out her burning branch and Camille lifted her slime-coated hand towards it.

Tristan and Etna watched in amazement as the slime melted off her hand like ice cream in the sun.

"Of course!" Tristan cried. "That's why Mukgoo stopped his attack. It was the sun that drove him away."

At that moment, the sky darkened and rain began to fall on them.

"That's odd," Etna said, holding out a hand to catch the raindrops. "It wasn't supposed to rain today."

"That's no ordinary storm. It looks a lot like… Rain Dance." Camille then gasped. "Guys, if the sun's blocked out, then that means…"

Tristan's eyes widened in horror as the answer came to him. "Oh no!" Quickly he activated his Morpher's communicator. "Guys! Come in, guys!"

"Tristan?" came Electra's reply. "How did you get your Morpher free?"

"Never mind that now," Tristan cried. "You have to get back here fast!"

Just then, they heard a familiar voice chuckling in the communicator. "Stop trying to resist! Sludge Bomb!" Then they heard Marianne screaming in terror.

"Oh no, we're too late!" Camille gasped. "Mukgoo's already attacking!"

"Hurry, guys! We need your help right-" Electra's call cut out at that moment.

"Electra? Electra!" Tristan called without a reply. "They need our help. We have to get out there now!"

"But they could be miles away from us," Etna said. "We won't make it in time."

"Yes, we will." Camille held up her Morpher with a smile. "There's a little something about my armor that I haven't told you yet…"

* * *

"Air Slash!" Rafi fired a shot from his Bow, the Arrow slicing through the air. Mukgoo turned just as the arrow struck his chest, where it stuck.

"Nothing's getting through him!" Rafi cried.

Quinn ran over to Marianne who was pinned to a tree by Mukgoo's sludge and grabbed her hand, pulling as hard as he could. "It's no use, I can't pull you free."

"Don't worry about me," Marianne said. "Just stop that monster!"

"Here comes another Electro Ball!" Electra cried, running towards Mukgoo with her Hammer over her head.

"Oh yeah? Well, here comes my Gunk Tail!" Mukgoo's tail was covered in swirling slime and he swung it around.

"Look out!" At the last second, Rafi pushed Electra out of the way and was quickly coated in the gunk.

"Rafi!" Electra cried, seeing him freeze in place. "Are you okay?"

"I'm unharmed, but I can't move now!" Rafi grunted.

"And soon you will all be trapped by my sticky goo!" Mukgoo laughed nastily, stomping closer through the rain. "Let's finish this once and for all!"

"For once, I agree. Fire Blaster!"

Suddenly, a series of burning bolts dropped out of the sky with the rain, striking Mukgoo and driving him back. "OWWW! Too hot, too hot!"

Quinn and Electra looked up and saw an incredible sight. A morphed Tristan was swooping out of the sky toward them, carried by a pair of glowing red wings. As he got closer, they could see that the wings were actually part of Camille's armor. "Whoa!"

Camille set Tristan on the ground then landed next to him. As she did, the wings flashed and transformed into her breastplate. "Looks like we're just in time."

"I didn't know your armor could do that," Electra said. "More importantly, how did you get your Morphers working again?"

"That answer won't matter!" Mukgoo yelled, shaking himself off. "You're all gonna pay for that!"

"You don't know who I am, do you?" Tristan asked, drawing out his sword. "I'm the Fire Knight, and you're in trouble."

"Sludge Bomb!" Mukgoo yelled, spitting out another ball of slime.

"Protect!" Camille jumped in front of Tristan and summoned a force field, blocking the attack.

"Thanks, Camille. Now it's my turn!" Tristan jumped over the force field and raised his sword. "Flame Burst!"

As his sword caught fire, he swung it around, sending a wave of fire that cut right through the rain and impacted on Mukgoo. "AAAAARRGGHHH! It burns!"

* * *

"My Lord, the Fire Knight has broken free and he's giving Mukgoo some trouble!" Sabelteur cried. "Even the rain's not helping at all!"

"Don't worry," Mothitelle replied. "He'll soon be getting some extra help from me."

"Get down there," Yvestros commanded. "We're so close to victory!"

* * *

Mothitelle appeared over Mukgoo. "Ugh, the rain's soaking my wings. Better get this over with. Power Spore!"

She flapped her wings, sending a cloud of dust over Mukgoo. With a nasty laugh, the monster grew taller and taller until he towered over the forest. "It's slime time!" he crowed, lightning flashing behind him.

"So that's how they do it," Camille cried.

"We're gonna need the Zords," Tristan said before turning to the stricken Rafi and Marianne. "But we can't form the Megazord with you guys."

"Just get out there and stop him," Marianne called. "The world matters more than us."

"Yeah," Rafi agreed. "Just stop that monster!"

"Okay!" Tristan raised his Morpher and hit the button. "Release the PokéZords!"

In a matter of seconds, the Blaziken, Sceptile, Ampharos and Salamence Zords emerged from the Transportation Door. Tristan, Quinn, Electra, and Camille ran to them and were soon teleported into their respective cockpits.

"Ready for battle!" Tristan cried.

"Do you think our Zords will be enough to fight him?" Quinn asked.

"We have to try at least," Electra replied.

"Knights of Order, can you hear me?" Gurkinn's voice called over the intercom.

"What's up, Gurkinn?" Camille asked.

"Clemont and I have been experimenting with your Zords, and we've managed to unlock a new Megazord of Justice formation for those four. Camille, there should be a button to activate it."

Camille looked around and soon found the button. "Here goes nothing…" She slammed her hand on the button. "Megazord Transformation, activate!"

The four PokéZords flashed white as the change began. First, the Blaziken Zord jumped into the air, its arms folding back into its body.

Then the Salamence Zord's body rotated until its neck and tail stuck out while the wings stayed in place. Its top legs grabbed the Blaziken Zord and folded over its chest while the lower legs bent round and fused with Blaziken's legs. The head broke off at the end of the neck and a hand grew out in its place, and the tail extended out into a hand holding a lance.

Next, the Sceptile and Ampharos Zords lay down on their stomachs and folded in their limbs and tails as they straightened up, the heads resting on their chests. The bottom half joined onto the main torso, forming the legs.

The completed Megazord landed on the ground, the Salamence head landing over Blaziken's head, shifting into a new face.

The four Knights appeared in the main cockpit; Tristan and Quinn on the left, Camille and Electra on the right. "Raging Dragon Megazord of Justice, ready!" they yelled, as the new Megazord raised its weapon in the air.

On the ground, Etna emerged from the forest, followed by Delphox. She looked at the trapped Rafi and Marianne then up at the new Megazord. "Whoa, that's pretty cool!"

"Etna, get us out of here!" Marianne called.

"I'm on it," Etna replied. "Delphox, use a gentle Will-O-Wisp on them."

Delphox lifted her branch and summoned six fireballs. She then hurled three at Marianne and three at Rafi. The fireballs hit the trapped Knights and quickly melted the slime.

"Phew, thanks, Etna," Rafi sighed, stretching his arms. "I was starting to get stiff in there."

"So fire's the answer, huh?" Marianne asked. "To stopping Mukgoo, I mean?"

At that moment, Mukgoo gave a loud roar. "Your Megazord looks tough, but I can still slow it down. Sludge Bomb!" He hocked up another ball of goo at the Megazord.

In the cockpit, Camille slammed her hand on some buttons. "Fly!"

The Raging Dragon Megazord spread its wings and took to the air, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Tristan flicked his joystick out. "Dragon Tail!"

The Megazord raised its lance and stabbed Mukgoo through the chest. But when it tried to pull back, the lance was still stuck.

"Haha, got you now!" Mukgoo laughed. "Power Whip!"

He lifted his horns up and smashed them down on the Megazord, dealing serious damage.

"That new Megazord can't hold out forever," Marianne noted.

"Then let's give them a hand," Etna declared. "Delphox, Sunny Day!"

Raising her branch up, Delphox launched a stream of light up into the clouds. Instantly, the rain stopped and sunlight shone through the clouds, parting them completely.

The effect on Mukgoo was instantaneous. His whole body began to bubble and boil, and he left out an anguished scream. "NOOOOO! Not the sun! It's too bright and hot!"

"Now's our chance!" Camille cried. "Go for it, guys!"

Electra flicked her joystick out. "Electro Kick!"

The Megazord lifted its right leg, which was sparking with electricity, and kicked Mukgoo hard in the side. As the monster pulled back in pain, the Megazord pulled its lance free.

"Grass Pledge!" Quinn yelled, moving his joystick.

The Megazord stomped its left leg hard, sending out tall blades of grass that surrounded Mukgoo and bound him tightly.

"What say we turn up the heat?" Tristan asked.

"I completely agree," Camille replied. "Let's do it together."

Tristan and Camille slammed their hands on the buttons in front of them. "Igniting Dragon Lance!"

The Megazord lifted its weapon up to the sky, the light setting it ablaze. "Blazing Dragon Slash!"

With a final flourish, the Megazord swung its lance round, cutting right through Mukgoo. "AAARRGGGHHH! I shouldn't have been caught in the heat of the moment!" he screamed before collapsing to the ground and exploding.

"Oh yeah!" Tristan cheered.

"Praise the sun!" Camille added.

* * *

Resharma and Zekronos entered the chamber, their bodies reeking of dung. "We have returned, my Lord," Resharma announced.

"What did we miss?" Zekronos added.

"Only another miserable failure by Sabelteur," Sharphound chuckled with another sniff. "Excuse me while I rinse out my snout."

As Sharphound left, Yvestros turned his attention to the Twins. "Since Sabelteur's delivered such a hopeless failure, I turn to you once again to create the next few monsters. Do not let me down."

"Yes, my Lord," the Twins replied.

* * *

"Combusken, Flame Charge!" Tristan called.

His body catching fire, Combusken charged towards the Heracross that Camille had flushed for him. Before he could hit, Heracross took to the air and dodged the attack.

"Watch out, he's trying to get away!" Camille called.

"Not for long," Tristan replied. "Sky Uppercut!"

Running after Heracross, Combusken jumped up and struck the Bug Pokémon from below, knocking him out of the air.

"Catch it now!" Camille yelled.

Tristan took out a Great Ball and threw it out. "Poké Ball, go!"

The Great Ball hit Heracross just before he could hit the ground and absorbed him inside, landing on the ground. Tristan held his breath as the Ball shook once, twice, three times then... with a ding, the button flashed white.

"Alright, I did it!" Tristan cheered, grabbing the Ball and holding it up. "I've captured Heracross!"

" _Combusken!_ " his partner cheered.

"Way to go, Tristan," Camille beamed. "Glad I could help you out."

Tristan recalled Combusken then turned to her. "So, what did happen between you and Santos?"

Camille sighed and turned her head away. "Well, I really don't want to say..."

"Come on, Camille," Tristan replied. "You can tell us, we're not gonna mock you or anything."

"Okay." Camille took in a breath and looked back at him. "He had another call from Looker, something to do with Team Flare. I wanted to go with him but he told me to stay with you guys. And then... he kissed me."

Tristan gasped. "Whoa, that's pretty heavy."

"I know," Camille sniffed, tears forming in her eyes. "We'd been traveling together for so many years, and I never thought of taking our friendship to the next level. But after what Santos did, I... I don't know what to do now."

Tristan thought for a moment then walked up and took Camille's hand. "Listen, Camille. I may not know that much about you, but I can see how much you care about Santos. You'll see him again someday, and when you do, you can talk to him about it. But until then, you shouldn't shut yourself up like earlier. We're your friends now, and friends should never hold anything back."

Camille smiled and nodded. "You're right, Tristan. Thanks for listening."

"Not a problem," Tristan replied. "Now let's head back to camp. Etna's making her special stew tonight."

As Tristan ran off, Camille paused and looked up at the sunset. "Wherever you are, Santos, you'll always be in my heart..."

* * *

 **And we're finished. Hope you enjoy this chapter. This one took a lot longer than I thought it would.**

 **Anyway, I might not be able to get a new chapter out before New Year's, so happy Christmas just in case.**

 **See you next time**


	28. Scruff and Tumble

_Previously on Poké Rangers: Knights of Order_

 _On the way to Courmarine City, Camille was feeling depressed following Santos' departure which caused her to argue with Tristan. In the midst of the argument, a new monster, Mr. Mukgoo, attacked them, gumming up their Morphers with his slime before the sun drove him away. While the other Knights searched the forest, Etna helped Tristan and Camille solve their problems with a Pokémon battle while discovering a way to restore their Morphers. Teaming up together, Tristan and Camille helped their friends defeat Mukgoo, thanks to a new MegaZord formation, the Raging Dragon MegaZord of Justice…_

* * *

Chapter 27: Scruff and Tumble

"So, what new monster shall we create today?" Resharma muttered, examining the DNA samples that Sabelteur had collected.

Zekronos stepped next to her. "We might have a problem, sis. We're starting to run low on life force again."

"That's hardly acceptable," Resharma sighed. "We'll have to get a new supply from somewhere in the region. Mothitelle, any ideas?"

"As a matter of fact, I found something you might like." Mothitelle switched on a screen and beckoned the Twins closer. "This was taken from one of the Spydoves near Route 12."

The Twins looked closer at the screen, seeing the image of a small herd of Skiddo grazing in a pen. "Look at those little Pokémon," Resharma breathed. "So full of life… It's perfect for our needs!"

Zekronos turned to Sharphound. "Get down there and round up those Skiddo, by any means necessary."

"Understood," Sharphound replied, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Do you really think you can trust him with this mission?" Zekronos asked.

"Of course not," Resharma scoffed. "I just needed him to scout out the area. In the meantime, I think there's enough life force to create a monster that can help us…"

* * *

It was another bright sunny day on Route 12. Wingull soared towards the sea, playfully calling to each other. In the waves below, a school of Mantyke leapt out of the water in a game of tag.

On the road itself, Etna and the Knights continued on their journey towards Courmarine City. At their feet, Lucky and Pikachu ran around chasing each other. Sceptile and Delphox strolled next to Quinn and Etna, and Camille kept pace on her Gogoat's back. After the events of yesterday, Camille's mood had greatly improved and she spent a lot of time chatting with Marianne, recalling their adventures in Unova.

"…So there was Marianne, her face pressed up against the glass of Marine Tube, practically drooling at the thought of seeing a Wailord," Camille told the others. "She was like that for a whole hour, even when I told her how slim the chances were of seeing one."

"Wow, she was really focused," Quinn chuckled.

"So I was about to pull her away from the glass, when a shadow fell over the tube. Immediately, Marianne started yelling, 'There's one, there's one!' I looked up and said, 'Strange, I didn't know that Wailord had so many arms.'" Camille started to laugh then. "Turned out, the 'Wailord' was actually a school of migrating Jellicent!"

The others burst out laughing, though Marianne was slightly sulking. "From where I was standing, they were almost the exact size of a Wailord."

"Oh, come on, you laughed too," Camille chuckled, nudging her friend in the ribs. "And besides, we saw a Wailord later, didn't we?"

"Yeah, I suppose Marlon's Wailord counted," Marianne admitted with a smile.

* * *

Further up the road, in Baa de Mer Ranch, the workers were up and about. One man carried a bag of Pokémon feed over to the Skiddo pen, pushed the gate open and strolled up to the trough. He didn't notice a smaller figure running up to the fence and climbing over it.

"Here you go, guys," the man said, scooping out some feed into the trough. "Breakfast is served."

With eager bleats, the Skiddo bounded to the trough and started munching on the feed. The man nodded in satisfaction then went out of the pen again.

As soon as he was out of earshot, a young blonde, green-eyed girl of about ten peeked out from behind a pile of straw bales inside the pen. She was wearing a white shirt with a Pikachu face on the front, a black skirt, a yellow bag, and yellow sandals. Checking that the coast was clear, she climbed over the fence into the pen and looked around. "Scruffy? Scruffy, where are you?"

A loud bleat made her turn and she saw a smaller Skiddo with a yellow ribbon tied on one horn trotting up to her. "There you are!"

She walked up and petted the Skiddo on its nose. "Hey, guess what? I'm a Pokémon trainer now. And you're gonna come with me."

Just then, a cloud of smoke appeared just outside the gate. Scruffy bleated in alarm and the girl turned around. "What's going on?"

Her answer came quickly, as a strange figure stepped out of the smoke. It looked like a Bisharp with the face of a Houndoom. "Hello, little Skiddo," it chuckled, grabbing the gate and hauling it open. "Let's get you out of there."

Faced with a horrifying creature, the girl did the only thing that came to her mind. She let out a piercing scream.

Unfortunately, the scream startled the other Skiddo and they bolted out of the pen. The girl tried to run, but Scruffy's horn caught on her shirt and she ended up getting pulled along with him.

"Hey, stop!" the creature yelled. "I command you to- OOF!" His words were cut short as the Skiddo knocked him down and trampled him underfoot.

"Slow down, Scruffy!" the girl yelled, pulling herself onto the Skiddo's back. "Please, stop running!"

But Scruffy didn't stop; he just kept running after the herd as they ran through the ranch.

Hearing the commotion, the ranch owner ran out in time to see the herd stampeding out of the entrance. "Get back here!" he shouted, running after them.

Back at the pen, Sharphound staggered to his feet, his body covered in dusty hoof prints. "Owww…" he moaned before disappearing…

* * *

Further up the road, Tristan spotted a sign up ahead and ran up to it. "'Baa de Mer Ranch, 2 miles ahead'," he read.

"Oh, that's a great place to visit," Etna said. "Visitors get to ride Skiddo around the countryside."

"Hey," Marianne cried, pointing up ahead. "What's that?"

A cloud of dust was looming over the hill towards them. As it drew closer, they could see small shapes in the dust; small brown and white goat-like Pokémon with green leaves on their necks and small horns.

"Those are Skiddo!" Etna gasped. "But why are they running so fast?"

"Help!" came a frightened voice from the herd. "Somebody help me!"

"Oh no!" Rafi gasped. "There's someone caught in that herd! If they fall off, they could get trampled!"

" _Minci!_ " Lucky cried.

"Don't worry, I have an idea!" Camille said. "Gogoat and I will run at the herd and rescue that person. Then, Etna, Quinn, you get Sceptile and Delphox to stop the Skiddo once we're clear."

"Understood," Quinn said.

Camille kicked her heels into Gogoat's sides. "Let's go!"

With a determined bleat, Gogoat galloped towards the stampeding Skiddo, who ignored him as he ran past them. He then turned and ran back until he drew alongside them. Camille could now see a girl clinging to a Skiddo in the middle of the herd. "Hey, can you hear me?"

The little girl looked round at Camille, her eyes wide with fear. "Help me!"

Camille held out a hand. "Just jump off, I'll catch you!"

"I can't," the girl whimpered in fear. "I'm too scared!"

"Gogoat, grab her with Vine Whip!"

Two vines extended out of Gogoat's mane and gently wrapped themselves around the girl, lifting her off the Skiddo and dropping her behind Camille.

"Good work," Camille cheered, before steering him away from the herd.

"She's got her clear!" Tristan called. "Now's your chance, Etna!"

"Okay," Etna replied. "Delphox, use Will-O-Wisp on the ground in front of the Skiddo."

"Sceptile, help out with Bullet Seed in the same way," Quinn commanded.

Delphox summoned fireballs from their branches and launched them at the road, at the same time that Sceptile began to spit seeds. Both attacks struck the ground at the Skiddo's feet, startling them and making them skid to a halt.

"Great plan, Camille!" Tristan commended.

Camille brought Gogoat to a stop by the others, climbed off and helped the girl down. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so," the girl replied. "Thanks so much for saving me."

Camille was about to respond but was interrupted at that moment by Electra. "Marcy? Is that you?"

The girl flinched as she saw Electra running over to her. "Oh, hiya, Ellie…"

" _Pika-pika!_ " Pikachu cried, bounding up to the girl.

"Pikachu!" the girl squealed, grabbing him in her arms in a big hug. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"Electra, you know this girl?" Rafi asked.

"Of course, I do," Electra replied. "That's my little sister, Marcy."

"Your sister?" Marianne asked.

"Hey!" At that moment, an older man wearing rancher's clothes came running up, panting loudly. He paused to catch his breath then turned to the Knights. "Did you guys stop that stampede?"

"Yes, we did," Etna replied. "But what happened?"

"Beats me. I just saw them running out the ranch and I ran after them," the man replied. "Thanks for the help. My name's Capricorn and I run the Baa de Mer Ranch."

Just then, his eyes fell on Marcy and his expression soured. "You!"

"Uh-oh," Marcy gulped, ducking behind Electra.

"I should have known you had something to do with this," Capricorn grunted. "I thought I told you never to come back here."

"What's the big idea?" Electra snapped, glaring at Capricorn. "You think Marcy caused the stampede?"

" _Pika?_ " Hearing her owner's sharp words, Pikachu jumped out of Marcy's arms to protect her.

"Who are you supposed to be?" the ranch owner retorted.

"Don't yell at her," Marcy shouted. "That's my sister, Elizabeth!"

Etna and the Knights gasped and turned to Electra, who bristled at that name. "Marcy, how many times have I told you? You're supposed to call me Electra."

"But Mommy always called you Elizabeth," Marcy muttered. "That's your name, just like my name is Marceline."

"We'll talk about this later." Electra turned back to Capricorn. "Now, why are you blaming Marcy for the stampede?"

"It's because of him." Capricorn pointed a finger at a Skiddo wearing a yellow ribbon that'd trotted up to Marcy. "Every time those two get together, they cause all sorts of trouble at the ranch. Last week, I sent her away, hoping that she would forget about that Skiddo. But now she's taken it too far."

"But I didn't do it," Marcy argued. "I saw a monster outside the pen and next thing I knew, all the Skiddo ran out and I got caught up with Scruffy."

"A monster?" Rafi asked, his eyes widening behind his glasses. "What kind of monster?"

"I didn't get a good look at it," Marcy admitted. "But it looked like a Bisharp with the face of a Houndoom."

"What?" the group gasped.

"A likely story," Capricorn retorted. "There was nobody near that pen save for my farmhand, and now you showed up telling such ridiculous lies."

"I'm not lying!" Marcy shouted, stamping her foot. "I really did see-"

"Enough!" Capricorn yelled, grabbing Scruffy's horn. "I have a good mind to call your parents about this." He turned to the Knights. "Could you help me get the Skiddo back to the ranch?"

"Uh, sure," Quinn replied nervously.

"Thank you." Capricorn turned to go but stopped when he saw the ribbon on Scruffy's horn. Angrily, he ripped it off and threw it aside. "Come along, you."

"Don't take Scruffy!" Marcy yelled, tears in her eyes. "He's my friend! Please!"

Capricorn glanced over his shoulder at her. "I'm sorry, but I can't trust you with him anymore." He marched off up the road, dragging Scruffy with him.

It was too much for Marcy to bear. With a sob, she collapsed into Electra's arms and began to cry. Pikachu bounded up to the sisters and hugged Marcy's leg.

"What was that about?" Tristan asked, watching the sorry scene.

"I think we have a bigger concern than that," Etna replied. "Like, why would Sharphound be after the Skiddo?"

"I don't know," Marianne sighed. "For now, let's get them back. It's the least we can do."

* * *

Back at Yvestros' lair, Sharphound entered the lab, having cleaned the hoof prints off his body. Resharma looked up from her work. "No luck getting the Skiddo?"

"Afraid not," Sharphound sighed. "I was spotted by a human child and she alerted the Skiddo. I nearly got flattened like a pancake."

"Sounds like an improvement, if you ask me," Zekronos chuckled.

"Watch it, buddy," Sharphound snapped.

"Oh, don't get your horns in a twist," Resharma cut in. "It just so happens that I've just finished the Poké-Mutant needed for our mission. Behold!"

The creation chamber slid open, and out scuttled a very strange looking creature. This one had the mouth and body of an Amoonguss, but the head and mushroom cap of a Parasect. It had a large orange claw for one arm, and the Poké Ball patterned cap for the other, and it walked on four skinny legs.

"I give you… Paramoonguss," Resharma explained. "This beauty will be able to entrap its victims in a root prison until they are drained of their life force. Plus, it can spray any attackers with Stun Spore or Sleep Powder."

 _Beep-beep! Beep-beep! Beep-beep!_

"Knights of Order detected!" Sabelteur yelled, running into the lab. "They're approaching the Ranch now, with the Skiddo that escaped."

"How considerate of them," Resharma chuckled. "They've delivered them just in time. Sharphound, Paramoonguss, go back to the Ranch and capture those Skiddo."

"And if the Knights fight back?" Sharphound asked.

"When I'm done with them, they won't be able to fight back," Paramoonguss retorted in a breathy voice. "They'll be too busy snoozing, and losing!"

* * *

It was a short walk to the ranch. Camille rode her Gogoat at the head of the herd with Capricorn, Marianne, Quinn, and Sceptile walked on the left side, Etna and Delphox on the right side, and Tristan, Rafi, Electra and Marcy walked at the back. Throughout the trek, Pikachu never left Marcy's shoulder, which cheered her up slightly.

"So your name's actually Elizabeth, huh?" Tristan asked curiously.

Electra sighed. "Yeah, it is. I just never told anyone else."

"But why, Ellie?" Marcy asked, petting Pikachu's head. "It's a nice name."

"I know, but it doesn't suit my lifestyle," Electra replied. "After I was rescued by Pikachu as a child, I grew a love for Electric Pokémon. So when I started my Pokémon journey, I chose to change my name to showcase that love."

"Yeah, but you'll always be Elizabeth to me," Marcy teased.

Rafi could see that Electra was starting to fume so he quickly changed the subject. "So, Marcy, why were you visiting the ranch?"

"Well, after Ellie left with you guys, I became lonely," Marcy explained. "Her Electric Pokémon had been my closest friends growing up. My mom and dad learned of the Baa de Mer Ranch, so they took a month's holiday to Courmarine City so they could send me there. That's where I met Scruffy."

"You mean that Skiddo you were riding on?" Tristan asked.

"Yep. When I first came to the ranch, I saw him getting beaten up by a bigger Skiddo. Mr. Capricorn told me that he was a bit of a troublemaker, but I could see that he just wanted to be as strong as the others. I took him aside and fixed up his injuries; we've been very good friends ever since."

"Then why did Capricorn throw you out?" Electra asked.

"Last week, Mr. Capricorn organized a race between the ranch's top students," Marcy replied. "Even though I was inexperienced, I wanted to join the race with Scruffy. During the race, Scruffy suddenly charged after one of the other Skiddo. I tried to stop him, but he hit the Skiddo really hard. His rider got really badly hurt, and Mr. Capricorn got mad at me, thinking I was responsible."

"Geez, Marcy, you could have been killed!" Electra gasped.

"I was lucky." Marcy sniffed and wiped a tear from her eye. "After that, Mr. Capricorn sent me back to my parents in Courmarine."

"So why did you come back?" Tristan asked.

"In a few days time, we'll go back to Lumiose and then I'm starting my Pokémon journey. I wanted Scruffy to join me on my adventure, so I came back to ask for Mr. Capricorn's permission. But I wanted to make sure Scruffy still remembered me, and that's when that monster appeared, and then the stampede, and…" Marcy covered her face to stifle her sobs. "And now I'll never get to see Scruffy ever again!"

Pikachu's ears drooped sadly.

"Hey, Marcy, it's okay," Electra consoled gently. "We believe you, okay?"

Marcy looked up with a sniff. "You do?"

"Of course." Electra gave a reassuring smile. "Now when we get to the ranch, I'll talk to Capricorn and work something out."

"You promise?"

Electra held up her little finger. "Pinky promise."

"Hey, we made it to the ranch," Etna called.

"Let's go." Electra lifted Pikachu onto her shoulder, took Marcy by the hand and set off after Capricorn and the Skiddo.

Quinn, Marianne, and Camille joined the others outside the ranch. "So what's the plan?" Marianne asked.

"If Sharphound's around, we have to find him, and fast," Tristan replied. "Rafi, Marianne and I will search the ranch. Etna, Quinn, and Camille, you stay by the entrance in case Sharphound tries to make a run for it."

"Got it," Quinn replied.

As Tristan, Rafi, and Marianne entered the ranch, Etna turned to Camille. "While we're waiting, I think I can give you some advice."

"What do you mean?" Camille asked, climbing off Gogoat.

"Well, now that Braixen has evolved, it should be stronger. But strength alone won't be enough to defeat Ramos." Etna nodded at Delphox. "Fortunately, I learned a special technique that should help out… if you're willing to learn."

Camille thought it over then nodded. "Okay, I'll do it."

"Great," Etna beamed. "Now you get Braixen out. Quinn, your Roselia can help us out too."

Camille and Quinn released their respective Pokémon, but Quinn was a bit nervous. "Just promise me you're not going to hurt her too badly."

"Don't worry, I have plenty of healing items," Etna reassured him. "Now, when I give the word, tell Roselia to use Stun Spore."

"Right," Quinn said, walking a short distance away with Roselia.

Etna turned back to Camille. "Now, Braixen should know Will-O-Wisp at this point. As you should be aware, Will-O-Wisp can burn your enemies, doing a bit of damage at a time. But I've discovered that Will-O-Wisp can also have defensive capabilities."

"How so?" Camille asked.

"Let me demonstrate." Etna looked back at Quinn and shouted, "Okay, go ahead!"

"Alright," Quinn replied. "Roselia, use Stun Spore!"

Roselia jumped up and shot a spray of golden powder from her flowers at Delphox.

"Will-O-Wisp!" Etna called.

Delphox raised her burning branch and summoned six fire balls that she hurled out in front of her. The fire balls struck the powder and incinerated it before it could reach Delphox. Roselia quickly dodged the attack, avoiding getting hit.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Camille gasped.

"Now I can help you out," Etna said. "But we should take it slowly at first. Quinn, get Floette and Leafeon out too; we'll need their help for this. And Gogoat can help out, too."

* * *

Tristan sighed and scratched his head, looking around the ranch. He, Rafi, and Marianne had wandered all around the place, searching for any sign of Sharphound. Now they had regrouped by the race track to compare notes.

"Well, if Sharphound was here, he must have left in a hurry," Tristan said.

"Maybe he escaped when the Skiddo fled the pen," Rafi guessed. "He might have realized he'd drawn some unwanted attention."

Marianne nodded slowly. "The question is, why did he target the Skiddo in the first place?"

"There's only one reason I could think of." Rafi and Marianne turned to Tristan as he finished, "He must be after their life force!"

"How right you are, Knights!"

Tristan, Rafi, and Marianne whirled round as a cloud of smoke appeared, from which came Sharphound, some KrokoViles, and a strange Parasect-Amoonguss hybrid.

"Looks like instead of us finding Sharphound, he found us," Rafi cried.

"KrokoViles, attack!" Sharphound commanded.

With rasping snarls, the KrokoViles charged into battle.

Dodging a bite attack, Tristan snatched up an abandoned rake and bashed three KrokoViles away before hurling it at the feet of another. That KrokoVile stepped on one end, blatting itself in the face with the other end.

Rafi climbed up onto a hay bale, kicked a KrokoVile in the chin and punched another in the stomach. Two more charged in from either side, but Rafi jumped off the bale at the last second, causing them to collide into each other.

Marianne evaded the claws of the last one then grabbed its arm and hurled it round, throwing it against the race fence.

"Very well fought," the new Pokémon hybrid chuckled. "But let's see how you fare against Paramoonguss!"

"No problem!" Tristan smirked as he, Rafi, and Marianne raised their Morphers. "Order's Light-"

But before they could press their buttons, Paramoonguss fired out a cloud of golden dust from her mouth, covering the three Knights.

"What is that?" Tristan coughed.

"It's Spore!" Marianne cried, covering her mouth. "Don't breathe it in!"

"Too late…" Rafi groaned, sinking to his knees. "I'm feeling… so… tired…"

Tristan's vision began to blur and he stumbled to the ground. Seconds later, Rafi also fell, already unconscious before he hit the grass.

Marianne struggled to stay awake, but the spore was starting to take effect. The last thing she heard as she collapsed next to her friends was Sharphound laughing, "Excellent work, Paramoonguss. Now, go to the pen and trap those Skiddo. I'll bring these three with me, so we can drain their life force too!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Electra, Marcy, and Pikachu had caught up with Capricorn as he finished rounding up the Skiddo in their pen.

"Wait, Mr. Capricorn!" Marcy called.

Capricorn closed the gate firmly before turning to the sisters. "If you're here to ask about seeing the Skiddo, I'm not interested."

"Just please, hear us out," Electra pleaded. "Whatever happened at that race last week, I'm sure it wasn't Marcy's fault."

" _Pikachu,_ " Pikachu agreed, nodding his head.

"Oh, she told you about that, eh?" Capricorn frowned. "That Skiddo has been causing a lot of trouble since he arrived here, picking fights with the others. He's nothing but a bully!"

"That's not true!" Marcy protested. "If any Skiddo's a bully, it's that bigger one. You didn't see how badly he'd gotten hurt after the fight."

"Well, that explains what happened in the race," Capricorn said, narrowing his eyes. "That Skiddo he attacked was the same one he fought. But you must have guessed that too, huh?"

"What?" Electra gasped.

"I-I had no idea," Marcy breathed. "That makes so much sense. But I didn't make him charge at the other one, I swear!"

"Again with your lies," Capricorn retorted.

"Hey, listen, mister!" Electra shouted, walking up to Capricorn. "My sister is not a liar! She's only just starting her Pokémon journey, so how would she know what attacks Skiddo can do?"

"Well, maybe, but she's making up stories this time. I mean, a Bisharp with the face of a Houndoom… Who'd believe a thing like that?"

Electra was about to reply, but Marcy's scream cut her off. "Look!"

Capricorn and Electra turned and saw a Parasect-Amoonguss hybrid scuttling towards the Skiddo pen. Capricorn gasped in horror. "What is that thing?"

"Stay back, guys!" Electra warned, pushing him back. "I'll deal with it."

"It's going after the Skiddo!" Marcy cried, pushing past her sister. "I have to save Scruffy!"

" _Pika-pika!_ " Pikachu leapt off Electra's shoulder and scurried after Marcy.

"Wait, it's not safe for you," Capricorn yelled.

"Marcy, stop!" Electra called, running towards her sister as she and Pikachu climbed into the pen. "It's too dangerous!"

But by then, the monster had also climbed into the pen. "It's feeding time, little Skiddo… for me! Ingrain Roots!"

With that, she sank her legs into the ground and began to glow green. The Skiddo began to bleat in alarm, except for one who managed to jump the fence and just in time. Seconds later, hundreds of roots erupted around the fence, growing up around the whole pen and trapping the Skiddo.

By the time Electra and Capricorn reached the pen, the root wall had completely encircled the pen. "Marcy!" she called, smacking her hands on the roots. "Marcy!"

"I'm okay, Ellie!" Marcy called back. "But I can't find Scruffy anywhere!"

" _Maa!_ " Electra turned and saw a Skiddo trotting up to the root wall, looking worried. " _Maa!_ "

"That must be him," Capricorn realized. "He's the only one who escaped. What do we do now?"

"Don't worry; I'll get the others over." Electra went off a short distance and activated her communicator…

* * *

"Okay, you guys ready?" Etna asked.

"Ready when you are," Quinn replied, and Floette and Leafeon cried out in agreement.

"Me too," Camille answered. "Let's do it!"

"Floette, Leafeon, use Magical Leaf!" Quinn commanded.

The two Pokémon fired their attacks; Leafeon from his tail, and Floette from her flower.

"Braixen, Will-O-Wisp!" Camille shouted.

Braixen raised her burning branch, summoned the fire balls, and hurled them at the leaves. Half of them missed the leaves, but a few leaves were burnt up.

"Well done," Etna said, nodding in approval. "Your Braixen's getting better. Now let's try again."

Just then, Quinn's and Camille's Morphers began to beep. "Guys, come in, hurry!" Electra's voice called out.

"We're here," Quinn said, answering the call. "Did you find Sharphound?"

"No, but I've seen something worse," Electra replied. "It's another one of Yvestros' monsters, and it's attacking the Skiddo."

"What?" Etna gasped. "That's terrible!"

"We're on our way," Camille replied, ending the call. "Let's go, guys!"

* * *

Inside the root wall, Marcy and Pikachu peeked from behind the straw bales, watching the monster trying to grab the panicked Skiddo.

"Hold still, will you?" the monster cried, snatching at them in vain. "All right, that does it. Stun Spore!"

She took in a breath and spat out a cloud of golden dust that coated the Skiddo.

"Hold your breath!" Marcy hissed, covering her mouth.

Pikachu quickly threw his paws over his mouth and nose. The Skiddo all bleated in shock and soon collapsed on the ground, paralyzed. As soon as the spore had cleared, Marcy and Pikachu released their breaths in silent sighs.

"That's better," the monster stated. "Now let's get to work. Leech Seed!"

She spat out some glowing seeds that hit a few Skiddo, trapping them in vines that began to glow red.

"What's she doing to them?" Marcy hissed.

" _Pika,_ " Pikachu growled, glaring at the monster.

* * *

As Electra turned back to the root wall, she suddenly heard footsteps approaching them. "Someone's coming," she hissed, grabbing Capricorn's arm. "We gotta hide!"

Quickly, she pulled him and Scruffy behind a bush and peeked through the leaves. She saw Sharphound walking up towards the root wall. "Capricorn, you'd better see this."

Capricorn looked out and gasped, his eyes widening. "Holy Miltank, your sister was telling the truth…"

"Yeah, I've, uh, heard about that guy on the news," Electra fibbed. "He's been causing a lot of trouble around the region."

She then saw three KrokoViles marching up behind him, each carrying a body. "Oh no," he breathed. "It's Tristan, Rafi, and Marianne! They've captured them too!"

* * *

"Let me in, Paramoonguss," called a growly voice outside the roots. "I've brought our prisoners."

As Marcy watched, the roots behind the monster parted, allowing four figures in. Three of them were a cross between Krokorok and Weavile, each carrying a person, and the fourth made Marcy gasp in shock. "That's him, Pikachu!" she hissed. "That's the monster I saw earlier!"

" _Pikachu,_ " the Mouse Pokémon growled, sparks flying from his cheeks in anger.

"How's it going, Paramoonguss?" the Bisharp-Houndoom monster asked.

"They put up quite a fight," Paramoonguss replied. "But not enough for my Stun Spore, Sharphound."

"Excellent," Sharphound chuckled. "I'll report our success to Lord Yvestros. In the meantime, we'll get to work on these three as well."

The other monsters dropped the bodies next to Marcy's hiding place, and she gasped again, recognizing Tristan, Rafi, and Marianne. "It's Ellie's friends. They've got them too!"

* * *

"How goes your monster, Resharma?" Yvestros asked, entering the lab.

"Things are going better than expected, my Lord," Resharma replied. "I've just heard from Sharphound; not only are we getting life force from the Skiddo, but Paramoonguss has also captured three of the Knights of Order."

"Wonderful news," Yvestros laughed, rubbing his twisted hands in glee. "Finally, we have a chance to weaken our enemies once and for all!"

* * *

"Electra, we're here!"

Electra and Capricorn turned around to see Quinn, Camille, and Etna running towards them, followed by Delphox, Braixen, Roselia, and Gogoat. Camille gasped as she looked up at the root wall. "Whoa, what happened here?"

"That monster created it to keep the Skiddo trapped," Electra explained. "But it's worse than that. Marcy and Pikachu are trapped in there, and so are Tristan, Rafi, and Marianne."

"Oh no!" Quinn gasped. "That explains why they didn't answer our calls."

Scruffy trotted up to the root wall and bleated sadly. Sensing his distress, Gogoat trotted over to him and rubbed his nose on Scruffy's leafy ruff.

"Mr. Capricorn, you should head back to the ranch house," Etna said. "We know someone who can help out."

Glancing one more time at the wall, Capricorn nodded and ran off.

Once he was gone, Quinn activated his communicator and quickly explained the situation to Gurkinn. "Lucario's been tracking their aura," Gurkinn replied. "Right now, the others are still unconscious, and the monster's been draining life force from somewhere in there."

"But what could…?" Electra's words froze in her mouth as she turned to look at Scruffy. "Oh no, the other Skiddo! That's why that monster didn't want them to escape; it wants their life force!"

" _Maa!_ " Scruffy bleated in alarm. Gogoat narrowed his eyes and stomped his hoof in the ground.

"Don't worry, Gogoat," Camille soothed her Pokémon. "We'll save them all, our friends included."

"The way I see it, we could just burn the wall down," Etna said. "But I don't want to risk hurting the Skiddo or the others."

Camille looked over at Gogoat and Scruffy. "Don't worry, guys. I have an idea…"

* * *

Back at the pen, Marcy watched helplessly from her hiding place, cringing at the plaintive cries from the weakening Skiddo. "We have to do something!"

She looked over at the unconscious Tristan, Rafi, and Marianne. "Maybe we can wake them up, somehow. What do you think, Pikachu?"

Pikachu peeked out and nodded once. " _Pika._ "

Carefully, Marcy crept out towards them, but at that moment, Sharphound turned around and spotted her. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

With a gasp, Marcy tried to run, but Sharphound ran up and grabbed her shirt collar, lifting her up. "Say, you're that kid that blew my cover earlier!"

"Let me go!" Marcy squealed, struggling to escape.

"I don't think so," Sharphound chuckled. "Once we've finished sucking the life force out of the Skiddo, we do the same to those three, and you!"

" _Pikachu!_ " Just then, Pikachu jumped out into the open and tackled Sharphound in the chest. With a gasp, he dropped Marcy and she ran over to the Knights.

"Come on, guys, wake up!" Marcy cried, shaking Tristan hard. "Please wake up, I need your help!"

"Good try, little girl," Paramoonguss chuckled. "But my Spore has them completely out for the count. Now I'll do the same to you."

Suddenly, the root wall began to shake as something struck it from outside. Paramoonguss turned around in alarm. "What?"

Sharphound staggered to his feet as the wall shook again. "What's going on?"

At that moment, the roots exploded outwards, and a Gogoat and a Skiddo charged into the pen, bashing Sharphound and trampling him into the ground. "Not again!"

"Scruffy!" Marcy cheered. "You saved me!"

Then Quinn, Camille, and Electra ran through the hole, fully morphed and wielding their weapons. Roselia and Braixen followed in behind them.

"The other Knights of Order!" Paramoonguss snapped.

"Gogoat, free the Skiddo with Razor Leaf," Camille cried.

With a bleat, Gogoat fired a volley of leaves from his ruff, severing the vines that trapped the Skiddo.

"Now, Roselia, use Aromatherapy!" Quinn commanded.

Jumping off Scruffy's back, Roselia fired a stream of perfumed dust from her flowers that flew across the pen. Within seconds, the Skiddo opened their eyes and got to their feet, bleating in confusion.

"No, they're awake now!" Sharphound turned to the Knights with an angry growl. "You've ruined our plans!"

"And that's not all we'll ruin!"

As Sharphound started to turn, he received a punch in the face from Tristan. Then Rafi and Marianne delivered a double kick into his chest, knocking him back.

"Yeah, you're awake!" Marcy cried.

"Not for long, you're not," Paramoonguss shouted. "Stun Spore!" With that, she took in a breath and blew out a cloud of glowing dust.

"Braixen, use Will-O-Wisp!" Camille shouted.

At her command, Braixen raised her branch, and launched a stream of fireballs out, incinerating the spore before it could hit the Knights.

Marcy ran over to Electra. "Did my sister send you?"

"She sure did," Electra lied, helping Marcy and Pikachu onto Scruffy. "Get these Skiddo out of here, we can handle this."

"Not so fast!" Paramoonguss cried. "Ingrain!"

Again, her body began to glow green, and new roots began to grow over the hole just before the Skiddo could escape.

"Oh no, you don't," Quinn cried, drawing his Leaf Dirks. "Dual Chop!"

"Dragon Claw!" Camille shouted, wielding her Wing Hatchets.

As both sets of weapons began to glow, Quinn and Camille charged at the roots and sliced them open.

"OOWWWWW!" Paramoonguss cried.

"Go now!" Electra called to Marcy.

"Giddy-up!" Marcy yelled, kicking Scruffy's sides.

With a bleat, Scruffy led the charge out of the root wall. As Sharphound tried to stand up, he was once again trodden on by dozens of hooves. "Why me?" he grunted.

"Okay, Etna, it's time to clear the roots!" Quinn called.

Seeing the Skiddo running out the hole, Etna turned to Delphox and Charizard. "Okay, guys, let's light 'em up!"

Both Pokémon launched a stream of fire at the roots, setting them alight.

"NOOOO! MY ROOTS!" Paramoonguss screamed.

The Knights and their Pokémon ran to safety, watching the roots burn away into nothing. Tristan, Rafi, and Marianne switched on their Morphers. "Order's Light, Ignite!"

Once their armor had formed, Marianne summoned her Water Cannon. "Hydro Pump!"

A stream of water shot out of the cannon, putting out the fire before it could spread around the ranch.

"Alright, now let's finish this," Tristan cried, raising his Sword. "Form the Justice Blaster!"

"Water Cannon!" Marianne held out her weapon.

"Feather Bow!" Rafi placed his weapon underneath the Cannon.

"Leaf Dirks!" Quinn stuck his daggers on either side of the barrel.

"Thunder Hammer!" Electra stuck her weapon at the back.

"Fire Sword!" Tristan put his sword on top of the Blaster. The tip of Tristan's sword opened up, as did Electra's hammer and Quinn's daggers, forming extra barrels.

"Justice Cannon, active!" Tristan cried, holding up the weapon as the other Knights ran behind him. "Fire!"

Tristan fired a blast of energy out of the cannon, striking Paramoonguss right in the face.

"Let me help out," Camille cried, placing her axes side by side in front of her. "Dragon Pulse!"

A glowing shockwave shot out of the end of the axes, adding extra power to the energy blast.

"AAAARRRRGGGHHH! Our plan's been pulled up by the roots!" Paramoonguss cried before she exploded in bits.

"Another victory for the Knights!" Tristan cheered.

Camille looked around in confusion. "Hey, where did Sharphound go?"

* * *

"Curses, another failure!" Yvestros snapped, slamming his fist on his throne. "Mothitelle, get out there and-" He paused and looked around. "Mothitelle?"

"Taking a nap, my Lord," Sabelteur answered. "She requested that she not be disturbed."

Sharphound staggered into the room, carrying a glowing green orb. "We managed to… gain a bit of life force… my Lord..."

"Well, at least it wasn't a complete loss," Yvestros sighed. "Take it to the Twins right away!"

* * *

Camille examined each of the Skiddo carefully. "Some of them need a rest, but I don't think they lost too much life force. The fact that they're still alive is proof enough."

"That's good to hear." Capricorn turned to Marcy who was petting Scruffy. "Hey, um, I'm sorry I didn't believe you about that Houndoom creature."

"It's okay, Mr. Capricorn," Marcy replied. "It was pretty hard to believe."

"So why did you come back here?"

Marcy turned to Electra, who smiled and nodded. "Go ahead."

"Well, I wanted to ask if I could take Scruffy with me," Marcy said slowly. "I'm starting my Pokémon adventure soon, and I'd like to have Scruffy as my partner. So, can he come with me?"

Capricorn rubbed his chin. "Well, he does seem to get along better with you than any other visitor." He then nodded. "I don't see why not."

"Yay!" Marcy hugged Scruffy round his neck. "That's great news!"

"I told you I'd help out," Electra chuckled.

Just then, a large Skiddo stepped away from the herd and approached Scruffy. "Uh-oh," Marcy gulped. "That's the Skiddo that bullied him."

The larger Skiddo glared at Scruffy for a moment then it bleated, nodded its head twice and turned away.

"I guess that Skiddo wanted to thank Scruffy for saving him," Electra said.

Suddenly, Scruffy gave a loud bleat and charged at the large Skiddo, knocking off its feet.

"Oh dear!" Marcy gasped.

"Looks like Scruffy's still got a grudge," Camille laughed.

Capricorn could only smile and shake his head while Marcy, Etna, and the Knights laughed too.

* * *

 **And another chapter done! Sorry for the lack of a MegaZord fight, I'd been working on this for a long time and I just got bored.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter.**


End file.
